5 Important Portable Generator Safety Tips ~ Carroll County, MD

5 Important Portable Generator Safety Tips  ~ Carroll County, MD

Ready for Hurricane Sandy? Portable Generators come in handy during power outages, especially during the extended power outages we have experienced recently. Residents across Maryland have been warned to expect to lose power, using a portable generator makes sense, we want to make our families as comfortable as possible during these weather events. Let’s not love them to death!

According to theU.S. Product Safety Commission, 170 people die in the US every year from non-automotive consumer products. In 2005 alone, CPSC is aware of at least 94 generator -related CO poisoning deaths. Forty-seven of those deaths were known to have occurred during power outages.

5 Important Portable Generator Safety Tips:

1. “Never operate a portable generator or any other gasoline engine-powered tool either in or near an enclosed space such as a garage, house, or other building. Even with open doors and windows, these spaces can trap CO and allow it to quickly build to lethal levels.”
2. Use a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector in the area you are running the generator.
3. Gasoline vapors are extremely flammable. Allow the generator to cool at least 2 minutes before refueling.
4. If you have to use extension cords, be sure they are of the grounded type and are rated for the application. Coiled cords can get extremely hot; always uncoil cords and lay them in flat open locations.
5. Never plug your generator directly into your home outlet. If you are connecting a generator into your home electrical system, have a qualified electrician install a Power Transfer Switch.           

                              
For additional information and resources:
MD Fire Marshal Reminds Marylanders
National Safety Council generator safety tips
National Weather Service
City of Westminster, MD                
Office of Public Safety Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/CCOPSSS
Carroll County Government Website: http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/default.asp
Carroll County Government Twitter: @CarrollCoMD
Carroll County Access Channel 24
5 Important Portable Generator Safety Tips  ~ Carroll County, MD