Safety Tips For Generators

Generators are useful when temporary or remote electric power is needed, but they also can be hazardous. The primary hazards to avoid while using a generator are carbon monoxide poisoning from the toxic engine exhaust, electric shock or electrocution, and fire.

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Every year, people die in incidents related to generator use. Most of these incidents involve carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from generators used indoors or in partially-enclosed spaces.

Hazards From Carbon Monoxide

Never use a generator in enclosed or partially-enclosed spaces. Generators produce high levels of CO very quickly. Even if you can’t smell exhaust fumes, you may still be exposed to CO. If you feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air immediatedly. The CO from generators can lead to full incapacitation and death.

Follow these safety tips to protect against CO poisoning:

• NEVER use a generator indoors or in partially-enclosed areas.
• Follow the instruction manual that comes with the generator.
• Install battery-operated CO alarms or plug-in CO alarms with battery back-up in your home, according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

Electrical Hazards

Follow these tips to protect against shock and electrocution:

• Keep the generator dry. Also, dry your hands if wet before touching the generator.
• Plug appliances directly into the generator. Or, use a heavy duty, outdoor-rated extension cord that is rated (in watts or amps) at least equal to the sum of the connected appliance loads.
• Never power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet. This is an extremely dangerous practice that presents an electrocution risk to utility workers and neighbors served by the same utility transformer.
• For power outages, permanently installed stationary generators are better suited for providing backup power to the home as even a properly connected portable generator can become overloaded resulting in overheating or stressing the generator components, possibly leading to a generator failure.

Fire Hazards

Following these tips can prevent fires:

• Never store fuel for your generator near a fuel-burning appliance, such as a natural gas water heater in a garage. If the fuel is spilled or the container is not sealed properly, invisible vapors from the fuel can travel along the ground and can be ignited by the appliance’s pilot light or by arcs from electric switches in the appliance.
• Before refueling the generator, turn it off and let it cool down. Gasoline spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.

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