Storm events ranging from ice storms to hurricanes can knock out electric power, leading people to turn to portable generators to keep the lights on. These generators come with safety hazards as well as emergency power. City workers need to be mindful of these issues, and fire departments may even include them in their fire prevention outreach efforts.
Carbon monoxide is an especially challenging hazard. As a colorless and odorless gas, it can accumulate to fatal levels without being detected. Roughly 100 people in the U.S. die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning associated with portable generators, according to estimates from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
For those employing generators during a loss of power, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has several recommendations for managing hazards, beyond the importance of operating the generator in accordance with manufacturer instructions.
Carbon monoxide
To keep carbon monoxide from accumulating dangerously, do not use generators indoors or in partially enclosed spaces, such as garages, even when these locations have some ventilation. Similarly, keep generators away from windows, doors and vents.
For indoor locations where carbon monoxide could build up, use battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors.
Electric shocks
Do not plug generators into a structure’s power supply unless a qualified electrician has installed a transfer switch. Otherwise, the generator could energize electric wiring in the area and pose an electrocution danger to utility workers. Operators should plug appliances into the generator directly, or by using heavy-duty, outdoor-rated and grounded extension cords, which are rated for the devices’ wattage or amperage.
Operators also need to keep generators in dry conditions and touched only with dry hands, and should be protected with a canopy if needed.
Fire
The generator’s fuel supply, vapors from the fuel as well, and heat it generates can all be fire hazards. Gasoline and other fuels need to be stored and transported in approved, marked containers. Operators need to keep these containers away from sources of flame as well as heat-generating devices, including the generator itself.
Spilling gasoline on a hot generator can start a fire. Before refueling the generator, operators need to shut it down and allow it to cool. Generators can remain hot for a long time after use.