“Do not fill plastic bags with gasoline.” The U.S. government warns Americans to stop filling plastic bags with petrol.
- After a cyberattack that hit Colonial Pipeline, residents have been panic buying petrol, with some storing it in plastic bags.
- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that this way of storing gasoline is extremely dangerous.
- To store petrol, you must use “only containers approved for fuel,” as the commission alerts.
Following a cyberattack on an oil pipeline, people have been panic buying petrol and storing it in plastic bags, clearly unaware of the dangers. In a bid to stop the extremely reckless rush, the U.S. government issued a warning urging residents not to fill plastic bags with gasoline, as LADbible reports.
In the meantime, a photo taken in 2019 of a truck filled with bags of petrol is currently going viral.
And this is how someone thinks they should get gas…🙄 #gasshortage pic.twitter.com/XT7APSI9rM
— Tyler in Texas (@ty_p3) May 12, 2021
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission decided to take the matter into their hands.
They issued a thread of warnings on their official Twitter account.
Do not fill plastic bags with gasoline.
— US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) May 12, 2021
The thread continues:
“Use only containers approved for fuel.
Follow the gas canister manufacturer instructions for storing and transporting gasoline.
When using a gas canister, never pour gasoline over or near an open flame.
Flame jetting is a sudden and possibly violent flash fire that can occur when pouring flammable liquids from a container over an exposed flame or other ignition source.
NEVER pour flammable liquids from a container over an exposed flame.”
The commission adds:
“We know this sounds simple, but when people get desperate they stop thinking clearly. They take risks that can have deadly consequences. If you know someone who is thinking about bringing a container not meant for fuel to get gas, please let them know it’s dangerous.
Sometimes when we put out a safety message like this people use it as a way to look down on others. We ask that instead you use this as an opportunity to reflect on safety in your own life.”
Ya’ll got anymore of those bags of gas? pic.twitter.com/TLUJd8nni8
— Skeletor up in this Motherfucker (@UpBeatSkeletor) May 11, 2021
After a cyberattack last week, Colonial Pipeline was forced to halt operations, resulting in residents panic buying gasoline.
The company delivers about 45% of the petrol on the East coast. However, after the ransomware attack, they had to stop working until they fix the issue.
Trying to warn people not to rush into overbuying fuel, the U.S. Transport Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, said:
“This is a time to be sensible and to be safe, of course we understand the concern in areas where people are encountering temporary supply disruptions. But hoarding does not make things better, and under no circumstances should gasoline ever be put into anything but a vehicle directly or an approved container, and that of course remains true no matter what else is going on.”
