Safety First: Why prepaying for gas saves lives

Paying before you pump creates a safer environment for all by preventing gas and dash injuries and fatalities.

Husky is being proactive and requiring prepay transactions at its stations across the country. And its Retailers and attendants are big supporters.

“You hear tragic stories of employees trying to stop a gas theft and getting hurt, or even killed, and you often wonder if this could happen to you,” says Mike, who works at a St. Catharines Husky. “Even though we aren’t supposed to try to stop these incidents, prepay ensures there is no dispute at the pump and helps me get home to my family at the end of every shift.”

Prepay requires customers to purchase fuel before they fill up their vehicles, either at the pump or in store. To date, there have been no deaths as the result of a gas and dash incident in provinces where prepay has been implemented.

Husky moved to prepayment for fuel after the loss of Surinder Pal Singh. Mr. Singh was celebrating the grand opening of his Husky retail site in Edmonton when he was drawn into a dispute with a customer over a fuel payment. He suffered injuries during the altercation which proved fatal. 

Surinder’s senseless passing shook all of us and challenged us to reaffirm our commitment to the safety of those working at our retail sites. While we were mitigating the risk associated with fuel payment, it wasn’t enough – we needed to eliminate it.

The Canada Safety Council strongly supports the prepay fuel system.

“We commend companies that are taking the initiative around prepay,” explains Jack Smith, President of the Canada Safety Council. “Corporations and consumers both must do their part and contribute to the decline of injury and fatalities in Canada.”

Husky wants its customers to know that prepay is about keeping everyone safe. “No gas fill-up is worth a life,” adds Mike. “I want my customers to realize the small act of prepaying for fuel not only keeps me safe, it can also keep them out of possible harm’s way.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Husky Corporate locations implemented prepayment as of November 19, 2017.

There have been zero fatalities in B.C. as a result of gas-and-dash thefts since prepayment was implemented in that province in 2008.

Absolutely not. Staff are not responsible for covering any theft. In the case of a gas and dash incident, staff are instructed to not intervene and to call the police.

Our comprehensive staff training program covers customer support, scenarios and interactions, with safety as the primary focus for our customers and our staff.

Our staff are taught how to interact with customers on the pump islands and help them with their transactions.

No. There has been no change to the size of our workforce as a result of prepayment. The move to prepayment does not reduce the number of workers we have, it only keeps them safer.

Credit card holds for fuel are standard with most credit card companies. You can avoid the hold if you specify an exact dollar amount or only slightly more than you need before you pump. This has not changed as a result of pre-pay.

Our staff follow a daily ready for business checklist which includes inspection of the dispensers and card readers. Retailers are trained to identify what a tampered card reader looks like and what to do if they find one at their location.

Visit the attendant and prepay a set amount. If your total is less, come back into the store to receive the difference.