Anti-Static Safety Gloves and Fuel Dispensing Compliance
The 2024 update to the Red Book introduced a change that affects how fuel dispensing activities are carried out across the UK. The guidance now specifies the use of anti-static safety gloves when dispensing fuel, reflecting increased attention to the risks of static electricity in fuel-handling environments.
Although static discharge is often invisible, it remains a known ignition hazard wherever flammable vapours are present. This includes petrol stations, commercial depots, and fuel transfer points that handle petrol, diesel, and gas oil. In these environments, ordinary actions such as exiting a vehicle or handling a metal nozzle can be enough to generate electrical charges.
For many operators, the challenge is not just about understanding the risk but implementing a practical solution that fits into day-to-day operations without disrupting workflow. This is where disposable Anti-Static Glove Stations provide a straightforward route to alignment with current guidance.
We supply glove stations designed specifically for fuel dispensing locations, ensuring suitable personal protective equipment is available at the point of use.
Static Electricity Risks in Fuel Dispensing Environments
Static electricity does not require specialist equipment or unusual conditions to develop. It can occur simply through movement, friction between clothing and vehicle seats, or contact with metal surfaces. In fuel dispensing environments, these conditions persist throughout the day.
When static electricity discharges suddenly, it can produce a spark. In areas where fuel vapours are present, particularly near pumps, vents or tanker connections, that spark can act as an ignition source. This is why static control remains a key consideration in explosive environments.
The risk can increase during colder or drier periods, when natural humidity levels are lower and synthetic clothing is more commonly worn. These factors are not always obvious on a busy forecourt or depot, but they can significantly increase the likelihood of electrostatic build up.
Anti-static gloves are designed to help manage this risk by allowing electrical charges to dissipate gradually rather than discharging in a single event.
The Function of Anti-Static Gloves in Fuel Handling
Anti-static gloves are specified for use in hazardous and explosive environments where static discharge presents a recognised risk. Manufacturers design these gloves to support controlled dissipation of static during routine handling tasks, rather than for specialist or highly technical applications. In fuel dispensing settings, this makes them particularly suitable for repeated contact with nozzles, hoses and metal fittings where consistency and reliability matter more than specialist functionality.
In addition to controlling static discharge, gloves also provide a barrier between fuel and skin. Fuels and hydrocarbons are recognised as carcinogenic substances, and repeated skin contact can allow absorption, increasing long-term cancer risk for those regularly using dispensing equipment.
It is important to understand that gloves alone do not make an environment safe. In ATEX environments, they form part of a wider system that includes appropriate garments, footwear and site controls. However, when used correctly, they represent a meaningful reduction in risk at key touchpoints.
Standards and Anti-Static Performance
EN 1149-5 is the recognised standard for clothing and gloves with antistatic properties. Gloves certified to this standard have been tested to confirm their ability to dissipate static electricity under controlled conditions.
For fuel dispensing operations, this certification confirms that the gloves are suitable for use in environments where electrostatic discharge is a risk. Maintaining access to certification documentation also supports audit and inspection processes.
While standards alone do not remove risk, they provide a consistent benchmark for product selection and help operators demonstrate that suitable PPE has been provided.
This certification is widely recognised across ESD-controlled environments, where managing electrostatic discharge is essential to protect people, processes and equipment, even when the primary risk is ignition rather than component damage.
Disposable Anti-Static Glove Stations at Dispensing Points
One of the most common reasons PPE is not worn consistently is simple inconvenience. Gloves may be stored away from the point of use, run out without notice or be shared between tasks in ways that reduce their effectiveness.
Disposable Anti-Static Glove Stations address these issues by placing compliant gloves directly at the fuel dispensing point. This removes uncertainty and encourages correct use before equipment is handled.
Because the gloves are disposable, each user starts with a fresh pair. This avoids contamination concerns and ensures that the anti-static properties have not been degraded by prior use. For inspectors and safety managers, the visible presence of glove stations at dispensing points provides immediate evidence that appropriate controls are in place.
Implementing Anti-Static PPE Controls
From an operational perspective, glove stations offer a low-disruption way to align with updated Red Book guidance. They do not require changes to dispensing equipment or complex procedural updates.
Providing suitable gloves also addresses the known cancer risks associated with prolonged skin contact with fuels. Where appropriate, PPE is not provided, fuel site operators may expose themselves to future legal recourse for occupational exposure to carcinogenic substances.
For sites with multiple pumps or bays, standardising glove provision reduces variation in behaviour and makes training easier. Staff and visiting drivers know what is expected as soon as they approach the dispensing area.
Across larger networks, this consistency also simplifies stock management and reduces the risk of PPE gaps developing over time.
Selecting Gloves for Fuel Dispensing Environments
When choosing gloves for fuel dispensing, static control is the primary requirement, but it is not the only consideration. Gloves also need to provide adequate chemical resistance to fuels and oils and maintain sufficient grip when handling metal equipment, particularly in wet conditions.
Disposable gloves offer a practical balance between performance, availability, comfort and breathability, price considerations, particularly in high-traffic environments where multiple users require access.
Correct Use of Anti-Static Gloves on Site
Correct usage is essential if gloves are to provide meaningful protection. Gloves should be worn before any contact with fuel dispensing equipment occurs, not as an afterthought once handling has begun.
Disposable gloves should be replaced after each dispensing task. Reusing disposable gloves can reduce their effectiveness and increase the risk of contamination.
In ATEX zones, gloves must be compatible with other elements of the PPE system. Non-compliant footwear or garments can undermine the benefits of antistatic gloves, so consistency across all PPE is critical.
Why Choose The Petrol Tank Company
We operate in fuel storage and dispensing environments, where static electricity control is a practical safety requirement rather than a theoretical one.
Our disposable Anti-Static Glove Stations provide a straightforward way to keep suitable personal protective equipment at the point of use, supporting consistent PPE provision and clear inspection visibility across forecourts, depots and fuel transfer points.
For multi-site operators, standardised solutions help simplify procurement and reduce the likelihood of PPE gaps developing over time. Disposable Anti-Static Glove Stations are available for order as part of our range of equipment for fuel-dispensing environments.
Ongoing Management and Support
Frequently Asked Questions
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Anti static safety gloves are classed as personal protective equipment because they are worn to reduce exposure to specific risks during fuel dispensing. In this context, the gloves help manage static electricity and electrostatic discharge near flammable vapours, supporting safer working practices at forecourts, depots and other fuel handling locations.
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Antistatic gloves are important in explosive environments because they help reduce electrostatic build up that can occur during routine handling of fuel nozzles, hoses and metal fittings. In areas where flammable vapours may be present, reducing the likelihood of electrostatic discharge lowers the risk of sparks that could act as an ignition source.
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In hazardous environments where petrol, diesel or gas oil is dispensed, the latest Red Book guidance specifies the use of antistatic gloves to manage static electricity risks. This applies to fuel forecourts, commercial depots and transfer points where ignition risks are present during normal operations.
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Personal protective equipment, including anti-static gloves, helps reduce risk by addressing specific hazards associated with fuel dispensing, such as static electricity and hand injury risks. While PPE is not a standalone control, it plays an important role alongside site design, procedures and training in managing risks in hazardous and explosive environments.
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Antistatic gloves should be used wherever fuel dispensing equipment is handled, including pumps, loading bays and tanker connection points. Making gloves available at the point of use, such as through disposable glove stations, supports consistent PPE use and helps operators demonstrate compliance in hazardous and explosive environments.
