Little Rock locations have customers scratching their heads about safety.
A QR code that has been displayed on pumps at gas stations in Little Rock, Arkansas has drawn some unexpected attention to the technology.
The problem is that customers are told that using cell phones can be a safety hazard.
While the QR code stickers have been displayed near the areas where gas can be pumped, so have caution signs that have indicated that cell phones should remain turned off while near the pumps. This is because claims have been made that certain electronic devices, such as cellular phones, can cause a spark that could lead to a fire or explosion.
Therefore, these QR code displays are sending mixed signals to customers.
This is leaving them confused and makes them wonder whether or not it is safe to use the barcodes or not. When asked about the safety of cell phone use at gas stations, and whether or not it can cause fires, State Fire Marshal Lindsey Williams made a clear statement. Williams said that “there is no hard evidence that suggests that use of a cell phone will start a fire.”
According to Williams, the signs regarding the use of cell phones at gas stations first began when a fire was coincidentally started at a gas station at a time when someone had been using the mobile device. From that time, the signage spread across the country to many stations regardless of the brand.
However, research that has since been conducted has not indicated that there is any increased risk of fire resulting from the use of mobile devices. That said, by that point, the signs were already up and they were left that way.
Williams explained that “That fire was not the result of the cell phone but more likely the result of static electricity that built up.”
The advice that he had to give about this specific scenario is that while there may not be any increased danger through the use of a smartphone at a gas station, it is still a good idea to obey the wishes of the gas station. If you can figure them out, that is.
