Petrol station company intervenes after employee mistakenly pumps petrol into diesel vehicle
A petrol station pump attendant in Singapore will not be held responsible for a S$1,500 repair bill after accidentally pumping S$20 worth of petrol into a diesel vehicle. The incident occurred on January 21 at a Caltex petrol station, where the vehicle had to be towed to a workshop to flush out the petrol.
Initially, the pump attendant was informed that the repair costs would amount to S$400. However, about a week later, he was told that he would need to pay a much larger sum of over S$1,500. This amount included the cost of a rental car for the customer, parking fees, and other transport-related expenses incurred while the car was in the workshop. The attendant was also told that the S$1,500 would be deducted from his salary if he failed to pay the amount by the following Friday. Naturally, the attendant became anxious about the situation, fearing for his job.
After seeking advice from his former boss, a former petrol station owner, it was revealed that petrol stations typically have insurance coverage for such incidents. In this case, insurance would likely cover costs below S$500. The former boss assured the pump attendant that if necessary, he could offer him a job, stating, “He has always been a good worker.”
Chevron Singapore, which oversees the Caltex brand, responded by clarifying that the petrol station is operated by a third-party service provider. However, the company emphasised its stance on fair employment practices. Upon becoming aware of the incident, Chevron reached out to the service provider to assert that imposing financial penalties on the employee was not in line with the company’s values. Chevron assured the pump attendant that he would not be required to pay for the incident’s costs.
