Mobile phones—a potential fire hazard?

The use of mobile phones has increased dramatically over the last 10 years and recently there has been increasing public interest in the health risks associated with their use. These can be categorised in the following way: 1. Risks due to exposure to radio waves of a certain frequency. 2. Behaviour related risks (i.e. use of phone whilst driving). 3. Risks due to interference with electronic equipment. 4. Potential ignition of flammable substances. We present an adult with minor burns sustained as a result of a flash explosion whilst working on the petrol tank of a car. There was no evidence of any factors precipitating this explosion except for his mobile phone ringing immediately prior to it. We discuss the theoretical risk of mobile phones causing explosions in petrol stations and summarise some of the other hazards associated with their use.