Narrative:

Fuelers using cell phones while fueling. A safety trend is developing at ZZZ. While preflighting on my last two trips I came across two separate fuelers using cell phones while fueling. In both cases both were holding the dead man switch with one hand and talking on the cell phone with the other, both were directly under the refueling port and the cell phones were approximately 2 ft or less from the fueling point. I asked both fuelers if they knew that the cell phones presented a radio frequency explosion hazard around fuel vapors. Both men ceased cell phone use when I said something. The first said he didn't know about the hazard. The second man said he did know about the hazard. In the first case the man was not educated about the hazard and in the second the man ignored his training. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the pilot submitted an as soon as possible report to the air carrier safety office. The safety office downgraded the report, and does not consider it a pressing safety problem. The reporter was the safety officer at his air base in the USAF. They were told that RF transmitters close to aircraft refueling could cause a fuel vapor explosion, or trigger a fire. He was not able to provide documentation that this activity was dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FO OBSERVED CONTRACT FUELERS, USING PERSONAL CELL PHONES, WITHIN 2 FT OF THE FUELING RECEPTACLE, WHILE FUELING HIS ACFT.

Narrative: FUELERS USING CELL PHONES WHILE FUELING. A SAFETY TREND IS DEVELOPING AT ZZZ. WHILE PREFLIGHTING ON MY LAST TWO TRIPS I CAME ACROSS TWO SEPARATE FUELERS USING CELL PHONES WHILE FUELING. IN BOTH CASES BOTH WERE HOLDING THE DEAD MAN SWITCH WITH ONE HAND AND TALKING ON THE CELL PHONE WITH THE OTHER, BOTH WERE DIRECTLY UNDER THE REFUELING PORT AND THE CELL PHONES WERE APPROX 2 FT OR LESS FROM THE FUELING POINT. I ASKED BOTH FUELERS IF THEY KNEW THAT THE CELL PHONES PRESENTED A RADIO FREQ EXPLOSION HAZARD AROUND FUEL VAPORS. BOTH MEN CEASED CELL PHONE USE WHEN I SAID SOMETHING. THE FIRST SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE HAZARD. THE SECOND MAN SAID HE DID KNOW ABOUT THE HAZARD. IN THE FIRST CASE THE MAN WAS NOT EDUCATED ABOUT THE HAZARD AND IN THE SECOND THE MAN IGNORED HIS TRAINING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PLT SUBMITTED AN ASAP RPT TO THE ACR SAFETY OFFICE. THE SAFETY OFFICE DOWNGRADED THE RPT, AND DOES NOT CONSIDER IT A PRESSING SAFETY PROB. THE RPTR WAS THE SAFETY OFFICER AT HIS AIR BASE IN THE USAF. THEY WERE TOLD THAT RF XMITTERS CLOSE TO ACFT REFUELING COULD CAUSE A FUEL VAPOR EXPLOSION, OR TRIGGER A FIRE. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION THAT THIS ACTIVITY WAS DANGEROUS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.