PLASTIC CANS WEAKENED

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 50, 29 June 1965, Page 16

PLASTIC CANS WEAKENED

Plastic eontainers for gasoline are still widely sold in a variety of stores and garages, without " warning of possible hazards arising from deterior. ation of, their thin walls under long-time storage.

They are being i)urchased by the public for benzine-carrying in spite of wide publicity warning that this practice is UlegaL Service station employees, too, are liable to fines if they are detected serving petrol Into this type of container. Garage attendants thus have the right, and are actually bound by law, to refuse such saies. The firm stand taken in a recent case, where a petrol pump attendant was j penalised as the result of an j illega* sale, indicated the j authorities' attitude to this i increasing problem. The danger arisejs from the fact that plastics can be dissolved or softened and weakened by gasoline, particularly at such high temperatures as can occur in the boot or passenger compartmetrrt of a

car. Plastic eontainers are quite suitable for the carriage of * water, fruit juices, milk, iced tea and other cold or cool liquids, but the best type of eontainers for the transport- * ing and storage of inflammable or highly volatile * liquids are metal safety cans specially designed for the purpose. -TrTT— i %