The Tianjin Emergency Management Bureau issued new rules banning the use of smartphones near fuel dispensers at gas stations. The notice specifically named the scanning of QR code as a “hidden safety risk”. Users are advised to go indoors for mobile payments.
Gas stations have switched to other payment methods that don’t involve QR codes, such as direct debit inside the gas companies’ own apps.
An experiment carried out by experts revealed that when scanning QR codes, a smartphone emits stronger electromagnetic radiation than during phone calls, according to a social media post from China’s Fire and Rescue Department. The experts concluded that QR code scanning is potentially dangerous at gas stations.
While static electricity can ignite petrol vapours, there is scant evidence that phone-induced explosions are likely to occur near gas pumps.