Portable generator safety emphasized

Rachael Gleason
Staff Reporter

June 21, 2007 12:22 am

— The Sam Houston Electric Cooperative issued several safety guidelines recently for East Texas residents who use portable generators, stressing the importance of proper use in the face of possible disability or death.
“For your safety and ours, we encourage our members to take special care in using generators,” said Keith Stapleton, the co-op’s chief communications officer. “Proper generator use can be a matter of life and death.”
Stapleton advocates the use of portable generators in outside areas only, as they produce poisonous gasses such as carbon monoxide.
He also said to place generators in well-ventilated areas, avoiding open windows and other places gasses could be trapped.
Hal Stratton, Consumer Product Safety Commission chairman, in a recent interview with USA TODAY, said that gasses released from portable generators are harmful to people.
“The amount of carbon monoxide from one generator is equivalent to hundreds of idling cars.” Stratton said. “Carbon monoxide from a portable generator can kill you and your family in minutes.”
Stapleton also said to never plug portable generators into the electrical system of a home because it could create a “dangerous back feed of electricity from the generator into the power lines.”
Plugging a generator into the home could increase the risk of fire and shock to the person plugging it in and to Sam Houston co-op line technicians as well.
Licensed electricians can install a double-throw transfer switch into the home’s wiring system into order to connect a generator to the home’s power supply without plugging it in directly, Stapleton said.
The switch allows the normal power supply from electrical service providers such as Sam Houston EC to be disconnected before the generator’s power is turned on.
The Sam Houston co-op recommends consulting and following the manufacturer instructions, general warnings and guidelines before operating the generator as well.
PortableGenerators.com said that residential homeowners, businesses and individuals use portable generators for a variety of activities, including powering applications outside the reach of power cords, outdoor camping and other recreational activities.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission noted in 2005 that carbon monoxide deaths caused by portable generators were at an all time high.
After Hurricane Katrina, five people in the Beaumont area were killed from carbon monoxide poisoning by generators.
The Sam Houston co-op said federal safety officials have responded to the deaths by changing the Underwriter’s Laboratory’s warning label requirements. However, it still asserts, “Education is the most important line of defense.”
For more information about portable generators or the Sam Houston Electrical Cooperative, . contact R.J. Enard, co-op communications specialist at (936) 328-1230 or e-mail rjenard@samhouston.net.