Feeling a bit confused about Oregon’s new gas pump pronouncement? You’re not alone, apparently.
After the State Fire Marshal on Sunday announced new rules allowing self-service at gas stations across the state, the Oregon Department of Energy on Monday politely cleared its throat and asked for a bit of attention.
“This temporary suspension does not make self-service mandatory,” ODE said. “The intention is to ensure fuel is available to essential personnel who need to travel.”
The Energy Department reports that the workforce at gas stations has been cut in half, due to workers’ concerns of contracting illnesses and the need to provide childcare during the school closure.
The Oregon Fuels Association notes that, in many places, attendants will still be available to help customers and sanitize fuel nozzles while practicing social distancing and avoiding hand-to-hand contact.
“Unattended self-service will only happen if and when a gas station owner exhausts all staffing options,” the association says.
Some rural areas already have self-service gas stations — similar to 48 other states in the union — rather than the old-fashioned attendants still required in Oregon metro areas and beyond.
Stations who cannot hire enough help are required to post safety signs explaining how to pump gas. The suspension is currently in effect until April 11, though it can be extended.
— Zane Sparling, Portland Tribune