Key Points

Fire

• Highly flammable
• Mixtures of petrol vapour and air may explode
• In the event of a fire involving petrol, use normal foam and normal fire kit with breathing apparatus

Health

• Serious lung injury may occur if droplets of petrol are inhaled (e.g. if vomiting occurs after ingestion)
• Harmful
• Inhalation may cause headache, dizziness and drowsiness.
• Often no symptoms occur following ingestion. In some cases, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea may occur
• Petrol vapour may be irritating to the eyes and lungs
• Prolonged skin exposure to petrol may cause a variety of skin conditions
• Long-term exposure to high levels of petrol is associated with a range of disorders affecting the nervous system
• Petrol does not affect human reproduction or development
• There is currently no evidence that petrol causes cancer in humans

Environment

• Avoid release into the environment
• Inform the Environment Agency of substantial releases

All sections are available to download in PDF format below:

Background