Using Emergency Generators Safely and To Your Advantage

Nothing is scarier for a business or a residence than losing power and no longer being able to conduct the most basic of functions (operating lights, production, copying, a kitchen, etc.). This was particularly brought to our attention by SuperStorm Sandy, which caused so many buildings to lose power over such a large geographical area. For this reason, more businesses and residences than ever are buying and installing emergency generators to produce electricity on a short-term basis.

While generators are more affordable than ever, there are real risks to address, such as poisoning by carbon monoxide (CO), an odorless, colorless gas that gets into the blood-stream and “locks up” red blood cells blocking spots for oxygen. According to the Center for Disease Control, over 400 Americans die from accidental CO poisoning yearly. See: http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/cofacts.asp?s_cid=tw_DrCP165. A town official told me that they had received many times more calls for potential CO poisoning in the week after Sandy hit than in an entire year because of emergency generators.

Here are some safety and operational tips for procuring or using emergency generators:

1. Plan. Determine ahead of time how big a unit you need to operate in an emergency. Remember that in an emergency, you should not be operating at full capacity or all of your devices. It’s an emergency. What are the minimum items that need to function in case of a power loss? From that, you can properly size the generator. How much fuel oil (generally, diesel) will you need to store?

2. Placement. Where will you place the generator so that it can be brought into use efficiently and not be “in the way” in normal times? Where will you store the necessary fuel oil? Make sure the generator is professionally installed and the fuel and exhaust lines are not blocked or damaged. If the unit is placed outdoors, make sure it is not near an open window through which dirty exhaust may flow.

3. Safety. There are signs in people before CO poisoning gets deadly, including nausea, dizziness, and headaches. If you are operating or near an emergency generator, keep an eye on signs like this for you and others and act early.

4. Testing. Test the generator per manufacturer’s recommendations, usually multiple times per year. Make sure it is combusting fuel properly and producing the electricity as needed in an emergency. Note and address any problems.

CCES technical experts can help you plan to use generators in case of an emergency and can recommend workable strategies to save you money. See our website: www.CCESworld.com for more information or contact me at karell@CCESworld.com.