With the increasing level of urbanization, many gas stations have appeared near residential buildings, which makes many people worried. We all know that gasoline, diesel, and other substances in gas stations are highly flammable and explosive. Living next to a gas station is like having a time bomb next to your pillow. However, gas stations do have their own safety distances. So, how big is the explosion range of a typical gas station?
Gas Station's Safety Distances
The safety distance of a gas station itself is based on relevant national regulations: the distance between the gas station and important public buildings should be 50 meters, while the distance between the gas station and general civilian buildings is 16 meters for Level 1 gas stations, 12 meters for Level 2 gas stations, and 10 meters for Level 3 gas stations.
However, the safety distance should be increased for protected objects. For example, the safety distance between the oil tank of a Level 2 gas station and protected objects is 20 meters.
Protected objects include residential buildings with a total floor area of more than 5000 square meters, mixed-use buildings, primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, nurseries, rehabilitation facilities for disabled people, nursing homes, sanatoriums, and other important public buildings.
The Range of Gas Station Explosions
Although gas stations have their own safety distances, the impact range of an explosion is not limited to just a few tens of meters.
For those who are close to the gas station, they may feel significant tremors, building collapses, and powerful shock waves. For gas stations with a large amount of oil storage, an explosion can have an impact even tens of kilometers away.
The Power of Gas Station Explosions
If a gas station explodes, the power of the first explosion is generally equivalent to 3 tons of TNT, and the power of the second explosion is equivalent to 21 tons of TNT. It can cause destruction to nearby buildings. Of course, this is closely related to the amount of oil stored in the gas station.
In addition to causing casualties and injuries, there are also serious pollution problems after the explosion, which have a significant impact on people's normal lives.
What to Do if You Live Near a Gas Station
If the construction of the gas station complies with the safety distance regulations, residents living near the gas station must pay attention to their own behavior and avoid living details that may cause gas station explosions.
As for the gas station itself, it should increase its safety measures, install explosion prevention and isolation facilities, and so on. At the same time, these measures should be communicated to the surrounding residents to eliminate public anxiety.
When setting the number of gas stations in our society, we should try to keep newly built gas stations away from densely populated areas.
