IOE 539 - OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY ENGINEERING
SYSTEMS SAFETY PROJECT ASSIGNMENT:
System Safety Analysis of Pumping Fuel
Final Report
Submitted by:
David “Ben” Komar, Plant Safety Professional
Emily Yu, Plant Health Professional
Adetunji Dahunsi, Equipment Engineer
Francis Ogunseye, Process Engineer
Date of Submission:
December 12, 2013
Submitted to:
Dr. Monroe Keyserling, Safety and Engineering Methods Instructor
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................iii
I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1
II. BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................... 3
III. RESULTS.................................................................................................................. 4
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 7
V. REFERENCES.........................................................................................................10
LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................................12
ii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A job safety analysis (JSA) of the operation of a car fuel pump is detailed in the report to
follow. The report outlines the most relevant hazards that an individual is exposed to
while refueling a car and suggests possible interventions to prevent, or at the very least
curtail injury to the operator. For this analysis, the operator of the fuel pump was
assumed to be alone at the fueling station with no individuals in the car being refueled.
To begin the analysis, several steps it takes to refuel a car are outlined and categorized.
Subsequently, each step is analyzed for potential hazards that are described in detail
using JSA forms. These hazards were then ranked in order of priority using an equation
based on the likelihood and severity of the outcome of exposure to the hazard.
Depending on priority, each hazard was then categorized into appropriate sections.
Finally, recommendations were put forward to prevent exposure to the hazard, or at the
very least curtail the severity of injury that the operator may sustain from hazard
exposure.
The results of our analysis yielded the following hazards and their respective categories:
 Low priority hazards: electric shock hazard, fire hazard (flash fire)
 Medium priority hazards: fire hazard (explosion), fire hazard (sustained
combustion)
 High priority hazards; collision hazard (interior), collision hazard (exterior), trip
hazard
Each hazard had its own unique outcome associated with it; they include but are not
limited to events like burns, bruising, lacerations, amputations, property damage and
even death. The report also outlines the current safety measures in place for the
process and proceeds to detail the effectiveness of each implementation in its current
state.
The report concludes with the team’s recommendations for managing exposure to these
hazards which include the use of barrier systems around pump equipment to prevent
collisions with the fuel source, gate systems to isolate each car while refueling, and the
possibility of having a trained professional carry out the actual refueling process. The
interventions are listed in order of decreasing preference; the final intervention listed is a
rather costly proposition in the long term and would have a lot of pushback from various
sources should it try to be implemented.
iii
I. INTRODUCTION
Fuel dispensers are used by people worldwide to fuel vehicles and/ or with gasoline,
diesel or other fuels. Fuel dispensers can also be used to fill portable containers that can
be used to transport fuel to use for other purposes. The main components of the fuel
dispenser used during vehicle fueling are the vehicle fuel hose, nozzle, keypad and the fuel
meter. The main components of the fueling operator involved in vehicle fueling are the
vehicle keys, vehicle fuel tank door, gas cap and button or switch used to open fuel tank
door. Figure 1 shows a fueling dispenser used by Adetunji Dahunsi, our equipment
engineer, to fuel his vehicle.
Figure 1: Fuel dispenser used by Adetunji to fuel his car
In the early 20th century, the first fuel dispenser was developed [1]. Although fuel
dispensers have been used since the early 20th century, there are still possible hazards
associated with vehicle fueling. These hazards can be classified into three main groups.
1. Fire/Explosion Potential: Safety concern that can affect many lives
2. Toxicological Health Effects: Exposures from inhalation of fumes, accidental
ingestion, or skin contact can lead to diverse health issues
3. Environmental Contamination: Leaks or spillage from the fuel pump can
negatively impact the environment, traveling via surface runoff
The range of severity of these hazards is broad, from death to no negative impact.
Thus, vehicle fueling will be an interesting procedure to observe and analyze.
On November 12, 2103, our team was asked to perform a system safety analysis to
“scrutinize a device or system in order to identify and evaluate situations that may cause
1
accidents” [2]. We decided to analyze the vehicle fueling procedure as this procedure is
used by people worldwide. The purpose of this report is to detail the analysis we performed
of vehicle fueling. The analysis of this report will be limited to the BP fuel station at 300N
Main Street at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. The layout of this workstation can be
seen in figure 2.
Figure 2: Workstation layout of the BP feul station at 300N Main Street at the University of Michigan
We utilized Job Safety Analysis (JSA) to do our system safety analysis. Job safety
analysis involves first breaking down the job task into elemental steps, identifying possible
hazards associated with each step and making recommendations based on the identified
hazards [3]. We chose this system safety analysis method because it is a good method to
evaluate a work task and identify possible hazards, especially those that include human
error.
There are already some administrative and engineering controls present at fueling
stations as fueling stations have been around for many years. Some administrative controls
include the operating instructions on the fueling dispenser and warnings on the dispenser
associated with utilizing the fuel pump. Some engineering controls include the automatic
stop valve to prevent overflow of vehicle tanks, robust and flexible hoses to prevent failure,
hose breakaway system, and the flow limitation of fuel to 10 gallons per minute during
2
fueling [4]. Our analysis will try to develop engineering controls for other hazards that can
occur during fueling.
II. BACKGROUND
The health and safety concerns associated with fuel pumps are due mainly to the
fuel itself and can result in personal injuries, death, and millions of dollars of property
damage. The largest safety hazard is the fire/explosion potential due to the fuel, the most
common in the United States being gasoline. Gasoline is a highly flammable liquid,
meaning it is capable of being easily ignited and burns quickly. Over 600 fire incidents
related to fueling stations were reported between 2003 and 2006 in the United States [5].
Fires/explosions can lead to severe injuries such as burns, respiratory damage, with the
potential of ending in death. There may also be millions of dollars of property damages.
Gasoline is also associated with a wide range of toxicological health effects.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), gasoline may be
possibly carcinogenic to humans, meaning it may be capable of causing cancer in humans.
Short-term exposure to gasoline due to inhalation of fumes can lead to nose and throat
irritations and cause harm to the nervous system. Inhalation symptoms include headaches,
nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, and confusion with severe exposure leading to potential
unconsciousness. Skin exposure to gasoline can cause irritation while ingestion may cause
mouth, throat and stomach irritation with the potential to cause organ damage and death.
Chronic or long-term skin exposure can lead dermatitis, an inflammation of the skin. Other
chronic effects are dependent on the chemical components of gasoline. Gasoline contains
well-established toxic chemicals such as benzene; toluene, xylenes, etc. thus, varied health
effects may result as well.[6]
3
Not only is gasoline hazardous to human health, but is also damaging to the
environment. Environmental contamination from leaks or spillage of gasoline from a fuel
pump can negatively impact a great number of organisms, due in part of its local and
regional polluting effects. Gasoline spillage/leakage may potentially spread and cause nonlocalized effects from point of spillage, traveling via surface runoff and further affecting a
larger area [7]. Environmental impacts of gasoline is specifically damaging for water,
potentially adversely affecting the quality of drinking water, and further threatening public
health and aquatic life [7].
III. RESULTS
The hazards identified upon completion of the JSA include the following: fire
hazards, collision hazards, electric shock hazards, and trip hazards. Our completed JSA is
in Appendix A. Each hazard contributed to the possibility of at least one accident occurring
with some hazards having multiple accidents as potential outcomes of hazard exposure.
With hazards and their associated accidents identified, the team set out to outline the
common or unique causes and possible outcomes that each accident posed in order to
determine intervention priority.
To determine priority, we utilized a quantitative scale to rank both the likelihood
(probability scale) and impact (severity scale) of each accident. Short descriptions for scale
values are listed below. See appendix B for more detailed description of these scale values
which [8].
Probability Scale:
1: Very rare
2: Rare
3: Common
4: Frequent
5: Very Frequent
4
Severity Scale:
1: Negligible
2: Marginal
3: Serious
4: Critical
5: Catastrophic
The development of the scale enabled us to rank the priority of an accident by multiplying
the values of the terms in both the probability and severity scales. Certain accidents, such
as those posed by trip hazards were allowed to have a range of values for which they
scored in priority. For example, the outcome of trip hazard exposure can range from a
slight bump to multiple and compound fractures that may result in grave injury or even
death. Our priority scores resulted in a wide range of values that further allowed us to
classify our accidents into low priority (less than 5 priority), medium priority (between 5 and
10 priority) and high priority (greater than 10 priority) hazards. These are summarized in the
tables 1 – 3.
Table 1: Low priority hazards for vehicle fueling
5
Table 2: Medium priority hazards for vehicle fueling
Table 3: High priority hazards for vehicle fueling
The tables we generated for our results (tables 1-3) led the team to an interesting
discovery. A majority of the high priority accidents were often caused by human error. In
fact, petrol fueling stations have a lot of error proofing and “poka yoke” devices that make
the process robust to accidents caused by failures of the actual equipment used. These
include, but are not limited to:



Automatic fuel pump turn off at full fuel tank
Automatic detachment of fuel dispenser if attached to a moving car
Plastic insulation of fuel pumps
6
Therefore, our recommendations were focused on creating ways to significantly
reduce the effects of human variation in the fuel pumping process by creating methods that
would increase the average level of process order associated with human interaction.
IV. RECOMMENDATIONS
Our safety analysis has lead us to make a few engineering recommendations.
However, it must be noted that refueling stations in the United States are already equipped
with robust engineering controls that provide significant protection from many of the
identified hazards as detailed earlier in section III of this report. Some of these engineering
controls consist of a hose breakaway mechanism, fuel shut-off valves, fuel sensing nozzles,
anti-drip nozzles, foam and fire suppression systems, natural ventilation, spill kits, etc. The
hazards that are difficult to prevent are those that result from human error. Therefore, our
recommendations attempt to mitigate the risk and hazards from human error. A brief
summary of our recommendations is in Table 4.
Table 4: Robust engineering recommendations to mitigate risks from human error
7
Static electricity is a common fire hazard during the refueling process. There are
many documentations and videos of flash fires that are ignited from static charges carried
by the operator. In most cases it is due to the operator (i.e. vehicle driver) carrying a static
charge from the drivers seat to the nozzle, and subsequently igniting the fuel vapors
surrounding the fuel nozzle. In this case, the operators did not (unknowingly) ground
themselves before approaching the fuel nozzle. One of the elementary tasks, exiting the
vehicle and closing the door, is a key component of removing the static charge from the
human body. When the person grasps the car door to close it, he or she essentially
grounds themselves and removes and static charge. Therefore, we recommend installing a
gas cap door interlock. This engineering control will prevent the gas cap door from opening
unless all vehicle doors are closed. However, this engineering control is not full-proof.
There are instances where this interlock will not be effective. First, for example, a service
technician (fuel pump operator) will not have this protection because he or she does not
operate the vehicle. Second, this interlock will only work upon initial opening of the gas cap
door. When the operator, vehicle driver or passenger, attempts to go back to the nozzle
when refueling is complete, the gas cap door is already open and the fuel vapors are
exposed. There is no control that prevents the operator from handling the nozzle during this
part of the process.
Many stations have barriers on the pump station island (see figure 3), similar barriers
to those in front of storefronts that prevent vehicles from crashing into the storefronts [9].
8
Figure 3: Barriers typically present on pump station island
In the case of refueling pumps, they prevent vehicles from crashing into the fuel
pump. Many of the fuel station accidents result from vehicles damaging the fuel pump.
However, most stations do not have barriers on all side of the pump. The first
recommendation, and most feasible to implement, is a Protective Barrier around the pump.
This is basically a more robust barrier system than what is depicted in figure 3. Figure 4 is a
simple sketch that represents this recommendation. It should be noted that the barriers on
the front and back sides of the pump are to be tall enough to protect against vehicle
collisions, but short enough so as not to negatively affect the refueling process.
Figure 4: SketchUp drawing of protective barrier
Next, we made a recommendation based on observations that refueling stations are
more often disorganized and unstructured with regards to traffic flow and interactions
between vehicles. Therefore, we suggest a system that would add more structure to the
process of entering and departing the fuel station. This recommendation is referred to as
9
the Gate System. A simple depiction of this recommendation is shown in figure 5. With this
engineering control, a car will only be allowed to enter and depart the pumping zone when
the gates allow the vehicle to do so. When the car at the pump has finished refueling and is
ready to leave, the gate forward of the vehicle will lift, allowing the vehicle to depart. When
this gate returns to the downward position after the vehicle has successfully departed, the
rear gate will lift to allow any waiting vehicles to enter the refueling stall. The gate will close
behind the vehicle once the vehicle has successfully parked in the proper position next to
the fuel pump. Admittedly, there is an administrative control built into this engineering
control with the yellow and black “caution” tape that covers the arms of the gates.
Nevertheless, this recommendation should provide for more structure and more organized
refueling evolutions from the time the customer enters and leave the refueling station.
Figure 5: SketchUp drawing of gate system
Finally, the last recommendation continues to prevent human error by introducing a
well-trained service technician to operate the fuel pump and control the refueling
process. This person, however, cannot prevent immediate or sudden hazards from nearby
operations. This service technician will be someone who, just like a full-service refueling
station, is aware of the hazards at a fuel station, and is knowledgeable in ways to prevent
the identified hazards. This may be impractical as it would be costly for a fuel station to
have these service technicians on staff year to year.
10
V. REFERENCES
[1]
"Fuel dispenser’s development history." . N.p., 9 Nobember 2012. Web. 11 Dec
2013. < http://www.fuel-dispenser.biz/article/fuel-dispenser-history.html >.
[2]
Keyserling, Monroe. "IOE 539 - Occupational Safety Engineering Systems Safety
Project Assignment." . N.p., 24 Oct 2013. Web. 11 Dec 2013.
[3]
"Job Safety Analysis Process ." . N.p.. Web. 11 Dec 2013. <
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/oilandgas/job_safety_analysis_process.html >
[4]
" THE EPA 10 GALLON PER MINUTE FUEL DISPENSING LIMIT." . U.S.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, 4 Setember 1997. Web. 11 Dec
2013. <http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/ld-hwy/evap/spitback.txt>.
[5]
“Motor Fuel Dispensing Safety.” Willis. January 2010. Web. 4 Dec 2013. <
https://ctools.umich.edu/access/content/group/d43ff3a5-a5de-479a-ad77b96099be9af7/Research/Motor_Fuel_Dispensing_Safety%20_2_.pdf>
[6]
“Gasoline.” Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. 17 January
2013. Web. 4 Dec 2013. <
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/gasoline.html>.
[7]
“An Assessment of the Environmental Implications of Oil and Gas Production: A
Regional Case Study.” Environmental Protection Agency. September 2008. Web.
4 Dec 2013. < http://www.epa.gov/sectors/pdf/oil-gas-report.pdf>.
[8]
Keyserling, Monroe. QUALITATIVE RANKINGS OF PROBABILITY AND
SERIOUSNESS FOR JSA and FMEA. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec 2013.
<https://ctools.umich.edu/access/content/group/7d6b05d0-b41d-4f7a-925c014855dd10db/Reading Assignments/Module 07 -- Systems Safety/Introduction
to Systems Safety/probsev.pdf>.
[9]
"Calif. Rolling Out $100M for Hydrogen Vehicle Infrastructure." . N.p., 3 Dec
2013. Web. 11 Dec 2013. <http://www.greenfleetmagazine.com/hydrogen>.
[10]
“National Health Statistics Report - Anthropometric Reference Data for Children
and Adults”: United States, 2003–2006.
[11]
ZheJiang LanFeng Machine Co.,Ltd. N.p.. Web. 11 Dec 2013.
<http://www.chinalanfeng.com/en-fueldispenser/Starlight-Series-fuel-dispenserJDK50C222s.html>.
[12]
Service station safety. (2013, April 11). Retrieved from
http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/vehicles/service-stationsafety.
11
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix A: Job Safety Analysis form
Appendix B: Qualitative Ranking of Probability and Seriousness for JSA
12
Appendix A: Job Safety Analysis form
BASIC FACTS
Job Identification:
Vehicle refueling
Work Objectives:
Operate a fuel pump to put fuel into vehicle fuel tank
Work Location(s):
BP Fuel Service Station
300 N Main Street,
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Operator Identification:
Name: Adetunji Dahunsi
Height: 5’ 9” (69 in)
Dominant hand: Right
Relevant Experience: 5 years using fuel pump at fueling station
Notes: Represents the 50th percentile male according to National Health
Statistics Report (October 22, 2008). [10]
Production Standards:
N/A
Shift/Shift Length:
About 5 minutes per visit
Job Rotation (if any)
N/A
JSA Date/Time:
November 17, 2013, 2:30-3:00pm
A-1
JSA Team Members:
David “Ben” Komar, Plant Safety Professional
Emily Yu, Plant Health Professional
Adetunji Dahunsi, Equipment Engineer
Francis Ogunseye, Process Engineer
A-2
WORK STATION LAYOUT
Fueling Station
The plan layout for the BP fuel station at is in Figure A-1 below.
Figure A-1: Plan view of fueling station with location of operator zone
A-3
Fueling Dispenser
The typical dimensions of a fuel dispenser unit used to fuel cars is in figure A-2 below
[11].
Figure A-2: Fuel dispenser used to fuel cars (dimension in mm)
A-4
EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS
Item
Hazard(s)
Nozzle
Malfunction of fuel proximity sensor
(overfill)
Fuel Hose
Tripping hazard
Vehicle Keys
None
Gas Cap
Fire hazard (fuel residue)
Key Pad
Electrical shock from worn insulation
Vehicle Fuel Tank Door
Pinch with negligible seriousness
Button/Switch to open Vehicle Fuel Tank
Door
None
A-5
PARTS HANDLED
Not applicable to our analysis.
A-6
PROCESS CHEMICALS
Item
Hazard(s)
Fuel (gasoline, diesel, kerosene, etc.)
Flammable
Explosive
Skin/Eye Irritant
Ingestion Hazard
A-7
MAJOR TASKS AND WORK ELEMENTS
1. Pull vehicle into fuel station
pumping stall with proper
alignment
3. Use in-car button/switch to
open vehicle fuel tank door
5. Make payment and select
fuel type
2. Turn off engine after placing
transmission into ‘park’
4. Exit vehicle and close vehicle
door
6. Remove vehicle fuel tank
cap and stow
A-8
7. Insert fueling nozzle into
vehicle fuel tank opening
8. Squeeze nozzle trigger
to begin fuel transfer, hold
until fuel transfer is
complete
9. Remove nozzle from vehicle fuel
tank opening and place into pump
station holder
10. Replace fuel tank cap
and close fuel tank door
11. Enter vehicle, shut door and
insert vehicle keys to start
vehicle
12. Put vehicle transmission
into ‘drive’
A-9
13. Drive away
A-10
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E1: Pull vehicle into fuel station pumping stall with proper alignment
Hazards from "normal" operations:
N/A
Hazards from human error:


Failure to Drive Safely
o Collision hazard with pump station or associated stall structure
o Improper Alignment
o Subsequent actions during fueling could lead to trip hazard/ spill hazard
Spill Hazard
o Gas hose left on ground or and car may potentially puncture hose possibly
leading to fire
Hazards from process/hardware failure:

Collision Hazard
o Brake failure leading to potential collision with pump station or other
vehicles
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-11
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E2: Turn off engine after placing transmission into ‘park’
Hazards from "normal" operations:

Fire Hazard
o High temperature vehicle components in contact with flammable
fumes/liquids
Hazards from human error:


Fire Hazard
o Fuel leak onto high temperature exhaust parts under car
CIUB
o Improper selection of transmission gear
o Subsequent resulting hazards
Hazards from process/hardware failure:

Collision Hazard
o Failure of gearbox
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-12
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E3: Use in-vehicle button/switch to open vehicle fuel tank door
Hazards from "normal" operations:

Fire Hazard
o Fuel residue in cap area creates ignition source
Hazards from human error:
N/A
Hazards from process/hardware failure:
None
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-13
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E4: Exit vehicle and close vehicle door
Hazards from "normal" operations:

Fire Hazard
o Static electricity
Hazards from human error:


Fire Hazard
o Ignition from static electricity
o Re-entering car can cause static charge build up and handling nozzle with
static charge can cause fire
CIUB
o Door closes on operator
Hazards from process/hardware failure:

Trip Hazard
o Unidentified object
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-14
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E5: Make payment and select fuel type
Hazards from "normal" operations:
None
Hazards from human error:
None
Hazards from process/hardware failure:

Shock Hazard
o Rubber insulation on key pad and buttons are worn out.
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-15
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E6: Remove vehicle fuel tank cap and stow
Hazards from "normal" operations:

Fire Hazard
o Fuel residue on gas cap potential ignition source
Hazards from human error:

Fire Hazard
o Fuel residue on cap could ignite if operator adds a heat source
Hazards from process/hardware failure:
None
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-16
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E7: Insert fueling nozzle into vehicle fuel tank opening
Hazards from "normal" operations:
None
Hazards from human error:

Fire Hazard
o Dropping nozzle could result in fuel spillage
Hazards from process/hardware failure:

Fire Hazard
o Premature release of fuel
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-17
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E8: Squeeze nozzle trigger to begin fuel transfer, hold until fuel transfer is complete
Hazards from "normal" operations:



Fire Hazard
o Improper fitting of nozzle to vehicle fuel tank
Exposure Hazard
o Increased exposure to fumes
Pinch Hazard
o Pinch point during squeezing of trigger
Hazards from human error:


Fire Hazard
o Nozzle is incorrectly placed into vehicle fuel tank, possible fuel spillage
Exposure Hazard
o Contact with fuel if spilled, irritant
Hazards from process/hardware failure:

Fire Hazard
o Sensor malfunctions leading to overflow and spillage
o Loose fittings leading to leakage
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-18
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E9: Remove nozzle from vehicle fuel tank opening and place into pump station holder
Hazards from "normal" operations:

Fire Hazard
o Presence of gasoline fumes
o Gasoline dripping from nozzle
Hazards from human error:


Fire Hazard
o Accidental pulling of trigger
 Accidental gasoline release to environment
 Leading to further exposure to fumes
 Higher potential of fire/explosion
o Improper placement of nozzle back into handle, nozzle falls to ground,
spills residual fuel
o Failing to remove nozzle from vehicle fuel tank
Tripping Hazard
o Improper placement of nozzle back into handle, nozzle and hose fall to
ground
Hazards from process/hardware failure:



Environmental Hazard
o Trigger is stuck, fuel spillage
o Malfunction of stopping sensors, fuel spillage
o Loose fittings (leakage)
Fire Hazard
o Trigger is stuck, fuel spillage
o Malfunction of stopping sensors, fuel spillage
o Loose fittings (leakage)
Exposure Hazard
o Contact with fuel (fumes and/or liquid), irritant
Hazards from nearby operations:
 Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
A-19



o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-20
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E10: Replace fuel tank cap and close fuel tank door
Hazards from "normal" operations:


Fire Hazard
o Presence of gasoline fumes
Pinch Hazard
o Possible pinch point while replacing cap
Hazards from human error:

Pinch Hazard
o Possible pinch point while replacing cap and/or closing fuel door
Hazards from process/hardware failure:



Environmental Hazard
o Trigger is stuck, fuel spillage
o Malfunction of stopping sensors, fuel spillage
o Loose fittings (leakage)
Fire Hazard
o Trigger is stuck, fuel spillage
o Malfunction of stopping sensors, fuel spillage
o Loose fittings (leakage)
Exposure Hazard
o Contact with fuel (fumes and/or liquid), irritant
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-21
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E11: Enter vehicle, shut door and insert vehicle keys to start vehicle
Hazards from "normal" operations:

Fire Hazard
o Car ignition may pose fire threat
Hazards from human error:


Pinch Hazard
o Close fingers in door
Struck-by Hazard
o Allowing self to be hit by the closing door
Hazards from process/hardware failure:

Fire Hazard
o Malfunction of car ignition
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-22
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E12: Put car transmission into ‘drive’
Hazards from "normal" operations:
N/A
Hazards from human error:


Collision Hazard
o Accidental/unexpected vehicle motion leading to collision with another
vehicle/person/structure
Fire Hazard
o Accidental/unexpected vehicle motion leading to collision with fuel pump
Hazards from process/hardware failure:
N/A
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-23
ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS
Element Description:
E13: Drive away
Hazards from "normal" operations:

Collision Hazard
o Skidding hazard from slick service station surface
Hazards from human error:


Collision Hazard
o Accidental/unexpected vehicle motion leading to collision with another
vehicle/person/structure
Fire Hazard
o Accidental/unexpected vehicle motion leading to collision with a fuel pump
Hazards from process/hardware failure:
N/A
Hazards from nearby operations:




Fire Hazard
o Spill of fuel from another person filling gas can lead to fire
o Smoking nearby could lead to fire if gas leaks
o Hardware failure
Collision Hazard
o Another vehicle collides with car if driver not attentive
Trip Hazard
o Pedestrians not paying attention while walking
Nearby pump station/pump station components failing resulting in fire/health
hazards
A-24
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Fire Hazard
Associated Tasks:



Smoking nearby fuel station
o Ignition source for fume/fuel leak
Ignition of fuel residue in cap area can create ignition source
Static fire
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:


Burn Injuries
Death
Probability:
Very rare
Severity/Seriousness:
Marginal (burns) to critical (death)
A-25
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Collision Hazard
Associated Tasks:


Pulling vehicle to fueling station - Other drivers in fueling station/ brake failure
Putting vehicle into park - gear failure
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:


Environmental release
Fire
o Subsequent event after fuel spill if ignition source present
Probability:
Common
Severity/Seriousness:
Marginal (fuel spill) to critical (fire)
A-26
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Trip Hazard
Associated Tasks:
Fueling car at station
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:
Head /neck / hand injury
Probability:
Frequent
Severity/Seriousness:
Marginal (head / neck / hand injury)
A-27
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Spill Hazard
Associated Tasks:


Fueling of car
o Collision of operator or other person with hose
Topping off
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:


Inhalation causing irritation of nose or throat
Skin contact can cause irritation
Probability:
Very rare
Severity/Seriousness:
Marginal (irritation and skin contact)
A-28
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Improper alignment
Associated Tasks:
Pulling vehicle into fuel station
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:



Trip Hazard
o Head /neck / hand injury
Spill Hazard
o Subsequent event may lead to spill if nozzle falls as a result of operator
collision with hose
Fire Hazard
o Subsequent event may lead to fire if ignition source present
o Burns
o Death
Probability:
Common
Severity/Seriousness:
Marginal (burns, head / neck / hand injury) to critical (death)
A-29
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Caught in under and between (CIUB)
Associated Tasks:
Closing car door
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:



Pinch
Crush
Amputation
Probability:
Very rare
Severity/Seriousness:
Negligible (Pinch) to critical (Amputation)
A-30
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Explosion from human error from nearby operations (other consumers pumping gas)
Associated Tasks:
Performing any part of refueling process
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:




Burns
Amputation
Death
Chain reactions resulting in further explosions
Probability:
The probability is very rare: (1/365)*(1/13) = 0.02107% chance of being at a fuel station
when a fire occurs [12]
Severity/Seriousness:
Negligible (no injury) to Critical (death)
A-31
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Ignition of fuel residue on gas cap
Associated Tasks:


Removing and replacing gas cap
Stowing gas cap during fueling
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:
Small flash, could catch clothes or hair on fire (burns)
Probability:
Rare
Severity/Seriousness:
Negligible (cinched hair) to Serious (burns).
A-32
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Fuel spillage
Associated Tasks:


Fueling
o Overfilling: human error or hardware malfunction
Moving nozzle from pump station to vehicle tank inlet (vice versa)
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:



Environmental contamination
Human exposure to fuel (inhalation, skin contact, eye contact…irritation,
dermatitis)
Risk of fire/explosion if heat source (hot vehicle brakes, exhaust system, other
hot car components, human error or smoking, static electricity) is present
Probability:
Very rare (assumed this is the probability of a spillage happening to operator, not by
nearby operations)
Severity/Seriousness:
Negligible (no injury) to Critical (death)
A-33
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Spark from car ignition may pose fire threat
Associated Tasks:
Starting the car’s engine just after refueling
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:



Fire
Burns
Asphyxiation
Probability:
Very rare
Severity/Seriousness:
Critical
A-34
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Starting the car with the gear in the wrong position
Associated Tasks:
Starting the car
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:



Collisions with other vehicles, people or static equipment
Whiplash
Bodily injury: Sprain, strain, fractures, bruises, etc
Probability:
Frequent
Severity/Seriousness:
Negligible (bruise) to Catastrophic (amputation)
A-35
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Putting car into reverse and accidentally backing into another vehicle
Associated Tasks:
Starting the car
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:



Collisions with other vehicles, people or static equipment
Whiplash
Bodily injury: Sprain, strain, fractures, bruises, etc.
Probability:
Common
Severity/Seriousness:
Negligible (bruise) to Catastrophic (amputation)
A-36
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Skidding hazard from slick service station surface
Associated Tasks:
Driving car away from service station
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:



Collisions with other vehicles, people or static equipment
Whiplash
Bodily injury: Sprain, strain, fractures, bruises, etc
Probability:
Very rare
Severity/Seriousness:
Negligible (bruise) to Catastrophic (amputation)
A-37
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Static electricity buildup on arid days
Associated Tasks:
Gas pumping process where the user moves their feet against the ground repeatedly
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:



Fire
Burns
Asphyxiation
Probability:
Very rare
Severity/Seriousness:
Critical
A-38
HAZARD DESCRIPTION
Hazard:
Collision with fuel pump as a result of pulling in too close
Associated Tasks:
Driving car away from service station
Likely accidents/injuries/disorders:



Collisions with other vehicles, people or static equipment
Whiplash
Bodily injury: Sprain, strain, fractures, bruises, etc
Probability:
Very rare
Severity/Seriousness:
Negligible (bruise) to Catastrophic (amputation)
A-39
PLAN FOR HAZARD CONTROL

Installed safety components/mechanisms
o Sprinklers/Fire Suppression System (Foam)
o Fuel Shut-off Valves
o Overhead roof (environmental protection)
o Natural ventilation
o Breakaway hose
o Nozzle sensor
o Anti-drip nozzles
o Flow Rate control (10 gpm)

Spill kits
A-40
Appendix B: Qualitative Ranking of Probability and Seriousness for JSA
This section details the probability and severity rankings we utilized in
determining our priorities [8].
Probability Rankings
A. Very Rare (1)
1. Accident - Less than one event for every ten years of operating
experience.
2. Injury/Disease - Incidence rate (per 100 worker-years) less than 0.1
B. Rare (2)
1. Accident - One event every 1-10 years of operating experience.
2. Injury/Disease - Incidence rate (per 100 worker-years) between 0.1 and
1.0
C. Common (3)
1. Accident - One event each year of operating experience.
2. Injury/Disease - Incidence rate approximately 1.0
D. Frequent (4)
1. Accident - One event every 1-3 months of operating experience.
2. Injury/Disease - Incidence rate approximately 3.0-10.0.
E. Very Frequent (5)
1. Accident - Multiple events every month.
2. Injury/Disease - Incidence rate approximately > 10.0
Seriousness Rankings
A. Negligible (1)
1. Human: First aid treatment, same-day return to work.
2. Property Damage: Insignificant.
B. Marginal (2)
1. Human: No lost days, however work restrictions may apply.
2. Property Damage: Minor damage repaired, loss of use less than one
day.
C. Serious (3)
1. Human: Compensable injury or illness, recovery to employable health
within a few months, eventual return to original job.
B-1
2. Property: Moderate repairs to a limited amount of equipment, down time
less than one week.
D. Critical (4)
1. Human: Permanent serious disability, disfigurement or death of a single
worker.
2. Property: Facility or significant portion thereof down for multiple days.
E. Catastrophic (5)
1. Human: Multiple cases of permanent disability, disease or death.
2. Property: Loss of physical facility or extended facility downtime.
B-2