Dangers of Portable Generators

When your world is tossed upside down (sometimes literally) due to a natural distaster, other priorities can sometimes overrule everyday common sense. If you're using a portable generator to get through a power outage, pay attention to the carbon monoxide exhaust.

From PM:

To most people, safe generator use is a matter of common sense. Gasoline-engine generators were never designed for indoor use. Every generator manual includes several pages of warnings urging users to operate their generators in a dry, well-ventilated area to avoid both electrocution and CO poisoning.

"It's strange. People understand not to run their car in the garage, but they should also understand the same rule applies to generators," says Sage Marie, a Honda spokesman.

During hurricanes, however, many people move their generators into areas protected from wind and rain that they assume are well ventilated. A CDC report traced several poisonings to generators placed outside, but near windows or air conditioners. The best bet is to put some distance between the generator and your house, advises Jon Hoch, founder of Electric Generators Direct, a Web-based retailer that sells thousands of generators a year. He recommends using a heavy-duty 25-ft.-long extension cable called a generator cord.

Don't use a generator indoors, ever. And make sure it's far enough away from your home and your neighbor's home.