# How Petrol Station Design Contributes to Misfuelling Incidents

> The layout, labelling, and nozzle design at New Zealand petrol stations directly influences misfuel rates. Here is what the research shows about forecourt design and human error.

- Canonical URL: https://www.formancetane.com/news/petrol-station-design-misfuel-incidents
- Published: 2025-05-08
- Author: EEK Mechanical
- Publisher: EEK Mechanical, a trade name of Forman Pacific, LLC

## The Forecourt as an Error-Prone Environment

Petrol station forecourts are designed primarily for throughput. Multiple pumps, multiple nozzles, and bright promotional signage compete for attention. Research in behavioural ergonomics consistently shows that high-distraction environments — noise, movement, time pressure, unfamiliar layouts — increase error rates in routine tasks. Fuelling a vehicle is exactly this kind of routine task in exactly this kind of environment.

## Nozzle Colour Inconsistency

New Zealand has no mandatory colour standard for fuel nozzles. In the United Kingdom, green is consistently diesel; in Australia, yellow/black is diesel. In New Zealand, colours vary between operators. A driver who has always used a Z Energy station where diesel is black may be confused at a BP station where diesel is a different colour. This inconsistency is a genuine, documented contributor to misfuelling incidents.

## What Good Design Looks Like

The most effective forecourt design features include large, high-contrast fuel type labels at eye level on each nozzle; clear signage at the pump head showing which nozzle is which; and filler neck restrictors on diesel vehicles that physically prevent a petrol nozzle from entering. Several New Zealand operators are improving nozzle labelling, but standardisation across the industry remains incomplete.

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Source: https://www.formancetane.com/news/petrol-station-design-misfuel-incidents