Smoking at petrol kiosk is asking for trouble — Lee

SIBU: It is appalling that many people still take safety for granted when refilling their vehicles at petrol kiosks.

In a recent incident in Kuching, a youth suffered burns when he spilled some petrol onto himself and set fire to his right arm and leg after the fuel came into contact with a lit cigarette he was holding.

He was reported to be refuelling his motorcycle when the episode happened.

Commenting on the incident, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the incident showed that people had yet to take safety seriously.

“It is common sense that we cannot smoke or light a cigarette when refilling as such action could possibly cause a fire.”

Lee said it was important for everyone to follow strictly the dos and don’ts when at petrol stations.

“Let this be a lesson to everybody to give safety a top priority,” Lee told The Borneo Post when contacted yesterday.

State Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director Nor Hisham Mohammad stressed that smoking was out of bounds in petrol stations.

“But to my knowledge, there are no clear regulations to impose a ban or non-smoking zone in petrol kiosks.

“Nevertheless, it is quite obvious and a common knowledge that we can’t smoke or light a cigarette in a highly flammable environment,” said Nor Hisham.

He also advised vehicle owners to switch off their engines when refilling.

“It is better to prevent any untoward incidents,” he stressed.