Kiwis love a good BBQ, but many of us might not be aware of the dangers associated with the transportation of gas bottles. A customer of ours recently had a lucky escape after the gas bottle he was transporting exploded, destroying his car. Mark has generously allowed us to tell his story and show you images of the aftermath to raise awareness.
Mark had a gas bottle in the back of his car. During his drive home, he smelt gas and saw that the bottle had tipped over. He got out of the car to adjust the bottle and just as he was opening the back door, the bottle exploded! Mark remarkably came out of the ordeal unscathed, but obviously quite shaken. Unfortunately, the car was destroyed, though it could have been so much worse had Mark not gotten out of the car to investigate.
Never cover your gas bottles with a tarpaulin
It’s a Kiwi summer tradition to load up the car or trailer and head to a camp site or to the bach. If you’re loading up a trailer, you might cover it up with a tarpaulin. If you have a gas bottle under the tarp, gas could leak and get trapped - which is extremely dangerous. Keep it outside the tarp or in a more ventilated area.
Transport bottles in a well-ventilated area of your car, or in the rear of your ute or truck
Keep bottles in the back of your car with the windows down.
Make sure to close the valve on gas bottles and disconnect any regulators or hoses prior to transport
Check the valve to make sure it’s properly closed, but avoid tightening it too much.
Regularly check your gas bottle for leaks
Fill a spray bottle with soapy water and spray onto the surface of your gas bottle. If there is a leak, bubbles should appear and you may smell gas.
When you arrive at home or your destination, immediately remove gas bottles from your vehicle
Avoid unnecessary dangers by taking the gas bottle out of the vehicle as soon as you arrive home or at your destination. Keeping a gas bottle in a hot car creates added risk - especially during New Zealand summers when cars can get scorching inside.
Keep your gas bottle in an upright position and stabilised with a gas bottle stand.
A Gas bottle holder keeps your bottle upright and stops the bottle from falling over and rolling around. These usually retail for around $10 or $15 from most hardware stores.
