Generator safety tips

source http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/4079952-generator-safety-tips

Many Northland residents have generators going at their homes in the wake of the storms — some for the first time.

Here are some tips from the American Red Cross on how to safely operate a generator:

• Never use a generator indoors — including a garage, carport, basement crawlspace, or other enclosed or partially-enclosed area, even with ventilation. Opening doors and windows or using fans will not prevent the buildup of deadly carbon monoxide in the home, the Red Cross reports. CO can't be seen or smelled — even if you cannot smell exhaust fumes, you may still be exposed to CO. If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air immediately.
• Place the generator away from windows, doors and vents that could allow CO to come indoors. 
• Keep generators dry and do not use in rain or wet conditions. To protect the generator from moisture, operate it on a dry surface under an open canopy-like structure, such as under a tarp held up on poles. Do not touch the generator with wet hands.
• Install battery-operated CO alarms — or plug-in alarms with battery backup — in your home
• Turn the generator off and let it cool down before refueling; gasoline spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.
• 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 try to power house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet — a practice known as “backfeeding.” It can present an electrocution risk to utility workers and neighbors served by the same utility transformer, and bypasses some of the built-in household protection devices.

The Red Cross compiled these tips in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Find more information at www.redcross.org.







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