GripHero : By far, the world's lowest cost (and most eco-friendly) Anti-Static PPE
Global experts in fuel handling consumer and worker safety
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2025: Breaking news from the IARC:
"Automotive gasoline causes cancer of the urinary bladder and acute myeloid leukaemia in adults." The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have reassessed the carcinogenic affects on humans of automotive gasoline/petroleum - a complex mixture of volatile hydrocarbons. The first IARC assessment of the carcinogenicity of automotive gasoline in humans was in 1988, pre-dating modern research. The IARC recommended, as a high priority, their reassessment of automotive gasoline to take account of more recent peer-reviewed studies and research, and account for the modern formulas of automotive gasolines. The IARC Working Group of 20 international experts published the results of their analysis (IARC monograph 138 - published 21st March 2025) which upgrades the carcinogenicity of the complex mixture 'automotive gasoline' from Group 2b to Group-1 (the highest group - which includes Asbestos and Tobacco) concluding exposure to automotive gasoline itself causes cancers in humans... "The Working Group evaluated automotive gasoline as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) on the basis of sufficient evidence for cancer in humans and the combination of sufficient evidence for cancer in experimental animals and strong mechanistic evidence in exposed humans. Automotive gasoline causes cancer of the urinary bladder and acute myeloid leukaemia in adults." Web link: https://monographs.iarc.who.int/news-events/volume-138-automotive-gasoline-and-some-oxygenated-gasoline-additives/ |
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Do you enjoy the smell of petrol when refuelling?
Have you noticed the vapour 'shadows' spilling out of the filling point when the sun is at the right angle? Inhalation and skin absorption are two routes of exposure to the hazards in fuels. Does vapour recovery work as well as we hope? Health hazard labels (such as those compliant with CLP Regulations or FHSA), display warning information to a user about the potential health hazards from the breathing in those fumes. |
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This IARC announcement comes on the back of the EU-Council amending the EU-CLP Regulation in December 2024 to update the formatting and application of CLP hazard labels (with specific requirements for labelling fuel pumps).
Those insuring the fuel retail sector and involved in cancer litigation say this re-classification to Group-1 has a profound affect on the industry. It affirms the importance of health hazard risk assessments (such as CoSHH), and the display of health hazard labels for fuels (CLP Regulation labels in EU/GB; FHSA-compliant hazard labels in the USA), and providing PPE regulation-compliant anti-static PPE at every fuelling point - to correctly warn, inform, instruct and protect both the fuel consumers and employees working at fuel stations. The transition period for the EU (and Northern Ireland) to implement the new label formatting ends 31st December 2027 (i.e. new label formatting to be displayed on 1st January 2028). |
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Classification, Labelling & Packaging (CLP) Regulation
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EU-Commission - EU Classification Labelling & Packaging (CLP) Regulation - 2024 update to hazard labelling
20th November 2024 - published in the EU Official Journal 10th December 2024 - enters into force 1st January 2028 - new implementation date (with voluntary 'opt-in' encouraged ahead of this date) |
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While the labels for hazardous chemicals must already be compliant to both the GB CLP and EU CLP (since 1st June 2017 for hazardous mixtures already on the market), Annex-II (Special rules for labelling and packaging of certain substances and mixtures) of the EU CLP 2024 update includes additional context for fuel stations:
- "For a substance or a mixture supplied at a filling station and directly pumped into a receptacle that forms an integral part of a vehicle and from where the substance or mixture is normally not intended to be removed, the label elements referred to in Article 17 shall be provided on a visible place on the respective pump."
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Why the 2024 update to the EU CLP?
The EU-Commission recognised "insufficient protection and suboptimal communication to consumers of hazardous products." Fuel station operators: Please contact our experts directly to learn about the display options available. CLP labels can be shown to fuel users within your existing nozzle display units (i.e. most units available are big enough to display the content required by CLP Article 17).
CLP labels are quick to implement. While CLP labels can be shown in any nozzle display unit, GripHero's CLP (Article 17) Hazard Labels enable quick, easy and inexpensive compliance to both the GB CLP and EU CLP requirements.
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Consumer and worker health and safety when handling fuel is easy to get right,
but what can happen if its missed?
but what can happen if its missed?
There are 2024 and 2025 public precedents for fuel exposure litigation and insurance complications
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May 2024:
Exxon is hit with $725 million verdict over carcinogen in gasoline https://www.reuters.com/legal/exxon-hit-with-7255-million-verdict-over-mechanics-leukemia-diagnosis-2024-05-10/ "Following the trial that lasted just over a week, the jury found Exxon liable for negligently failing to warn about the health risks of benzene, which the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) has classified as a known carcinogen. The entire verdict was in compensatory damages, according to Gill's attorneys." "This verdict is important because it’s a finding that their gasoline causes cancer," said Patrick Wiggle, an attorney for Gill, in a statement. "ExxonMobil has known for decades that benzene causes cancer, yet they resisted warning the public and taking basic precautions to warn the public and limit exposure." September 2024: Judge rejects Exxon's challenge to $725 million benzene verdict, adding $91m in delay damages https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/east/2024/09/16/793075.htm The Court denied all of ExxonMobil's post-trial motions and added over $90 million in delay damages, to bring the total award to just under $816 Million. "The denial of the post-trial motions reinforces the jury's determination that ExxonMobil must be held responsible for causing Mr. Gill's injuries," said Andrew DuPont, a partner with Locks Law Firm. "It's important that we continue to fight to bring to light the cancer hazard of exposure to benzene in gasoline". |
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Would you like to learn more about the labelling & PPE requirements
associated with handling hazardous mixtures in hazardous atmospheres?
Please read on...
associated with handling hazardous mixtures in hazardous atmospheres?
Please read on...
Do you know the details of the Consumer Safety / Worker Protection Laws for handling hazardous chemicals?
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In 2025, the IARC amended automotive gasoline (petroleum) fuels to a Group-1 human carcinogen for being a cause of AML and bladder cancers.
Every day, in the UK alone, over 2.5 million consumers are invited onto the petrol station premises to handle 'extremely flammable', Category-1 human 'carcinogenic'/'mutagenic' substances; some without clear and highly visible health hazard signage and PPE available at the point of contact. Additionally, over 50,000 employees help operate the UK's fuel stations. Under risk assessment (such as CoSHH), where there is potential consumer or employee exposure to chemicals classified as hazardous, health hazard signage and PPE provisions are addressed. For example, Petrol/Gasoline contains four Category-1 hazards, officially termed and coded as follows:
Hazard Labelling Regulations In United Nations countries, there are specific laws to warn, inform, instruct and protect both consumers and workers in universally standardised and specific ways. For the labelling of hazardous chemicals in Europe and GB, these laws are the EU CLP and GB CLP Regulations respectively [in the USA, this is regulated by the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA)]. These labels contain the official signal words, hazard pictograms, hazard statements, precautionary statements and other obligatory details. Petrol and diesel have their classified health hazards detailed in the EU 'Harmonised Classification' index, or GB 'Mandatory Classification and Labelling (MCL) index. |
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For petrol (gasoline) and diesel fuels, these are indexed as follows:
and:
- EU Harmonised Classification Index # 649-224-00-6 = Diesel fuels (EC Number 269-822-7)
- EU Harmonised Classification Index # 649-378-00-4 = Gasoline fuels (EC Number 289-220-8)
and:
- GB MCL Index # 649-224-00-6 = Diesel fuels (EC Number 269-822-7)
- GB MCL Index # 649-378-00-4 = Gasoline fuels (EC Number 289-220-8)
PPE Regulations
Accompanying the CLP hazard labels for fuels, the EU/GB PPE Regulations then mandate PPE provided for use in "Potentially Explosive Atmospheres" comply with:
Annex-I - Risk Categories of PPE and
Annex-II - Essential Health and Safety Requirements.
This specifically excludes standard forms of gloves (i.e. Category-1 PPE - for use in 'minimal risk' applications only).
Question for fuel retailers / distributors / end users:
Please check your PPE is compliant to this regulation; in accordance with this law, you will find the PPE Risk Category printed on the pack.
Please see the Static Safety section for further detail.
Accompanying the CLP hazard labels for fuels, the EU/GB PPE Regulations then mandate PPE provided for use in "Potentially Explosive Atmospheres" comply with:
Annex-I - Risk Categories of PPE and
Annex-II - Essential Health and Safety Requirements.
This specifically excludes standard forms of gloves (i.e. Category-1 PPE - for use in 'minimal risk' applications only).
Question for fuel retailers / distributors / end users:
Please check your PPE is compliant to this regulation; in accordance with this law, you will find the PPE Risk Category printed on the pack.
Please see the Static Safety section for further detail.
GripHero, having globally specialised in this niche area of fuel handling consumer safety for over 8 years, has become the leading expert in the detailed requirements of these laws, and a regular consult by law and insurance firms around the world during fuel handling and exposure cases.
By law, all fuel consumers, workers and end-users must be warned, informed, instructed and protected, at the exact point of contact with hazardous chemicals and products.
If you would like our support to specify your fuel stations with CLP/FHSA-compliant hazard signage, labelling and anti-static ATEX-certified safety-gloves (for use in 'Potentially Explosive Atmospheres'), please get in contact with us directly.
Providing GripHero to consumers is very quick, easy, simple and inexpensive to implement and operate.
By law, all fuel consumers, workers and end-users must be warned, informed, instructed and protected, at the exact point of contact with hazardous chemicals and products.
If you would like our support to specify your fuel stations with CLP/FHSA-compliant hazard signage, labelling and anti-static ATEX-certified safety-gloves (for use in 'Potentially Explosive Atmospheres'), please get in contact with us directly.
Providing GripHero to consumers is very quick, easy, simple and inexpensive to implement and operate.
Static safety on petrol stations
There are a number of fuel-handling health & safety regulations and consumer safety laws which govern petrol stations. Shown below, are screenshots from Paragraph 2.6 from EU 2016/425 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations. This is the key section of the PPE Regulation that manufacturers, distributors and end users of anti-static (static dissipative) Category-2 PPE refer to.
In preparation for Brexit, UK Parliament transposed the EU PPE Regulations into GB law via Statutory Instrument 2018 #390.
Did you know... Standard gloves (Category-1 PPE - for use in 'minimal risk' applications) both generate and amplify static spark energy on the person, enough to ignite fuel vapours. Standard forms of gloves also enable the transmission of static energy built up on the clothes of the motorist. The combination of these two factors means that the use of standard gloves can amplify static energy around the motorist's hands, therefore amplifying and increasing the static risk when used as hand-protection in the ATEX-classified fuelling zones.
The 5 exclusive applications for Category-1 (minimum risk) PPE include:
The 5 exclusive applications for Category-1 (minimum risk) PPE include:
- "Contact with cleaning materials of weak action or prolonged contact with water"
- "Atmospheric conditions that are not of an extreme nature"
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In accordance with the PPE Regulation, all PPE must be labelled with its 'Risk Category'. Is the PPE on your fuel station the incorrect Risk Category (Category-1 for 'minimal risk applications only')?
In accordance with the PPE Regulation, it is illegal to manufacture, distribute and make available PPE with the incorrect risk category for the application. In accordance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (CoSHH) Regulations (Section 7: Prevention or control of exposure to substances hazardous to health), Paragraph 9 states: "Personal protective equipment provided by an employer in accordance with this regulation shall be suitable for the purpose and shall-- (a) comply with any [legal requirement (The Personal Protective Equipment (Enforcement) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/390))] which is applicable to that item of personal protective equipment" |
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Since 2018, GripHero's Anti-Static ATEX-Certified Safety-Gloves (for use in 'Potentially Explosive Atmospheres') have been preventing and blocking static sparks between the person and fuel equipment.
GripHero is proud to boast by far the lowest environmental impact (plastic, CO2 and cardboard) and lowest cost. By providing ATEX Safety-Gloves at the customers' point of contact in the ATEX Fuel zone, GripHero enables full regulation compliance, maintaining valid insurance cover and helps safeguard petrol stations against fuel-exposure injury claims. |
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Most sites only passively offer gloves, showing no real additional return (Why? Because 80% to 90% of your customers have dirty, sticky hands).
However, there are huge gains made by actively and pro-actively protecting customers and encouraging clean hands. GripHero enables you to efficiently get to the high percentages, making your sites safe and hygienic, while increasing profitability. #CleanHands #IncreaseRevenue 
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What our customers say
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What your customers say
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94% reduction to your environmental footprint
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GripHero efficiently dispenses
ultra-low-carbon anti-static CAT-II ATEX Safety-Gloves at the exact point of consumer contact, directly from the nozzle...
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Please contact us directly to see how we can help you feel proud of safe and efficient forecourts
