With the approaching blizzard, many people no doubt are poised to fire up their generators, but there are, of course, dangers with their use.

Sadly, at least nine deaths in the aftermath of Sandy back in 2012 were blamed on carbon monoxide poisoning due to the improper use of generators.

My standby generator, which I have yet to use after nearly two years, was deemed unsafe by a troubleshooter yesterday, who told me the installation was not done properly, and there was a good chance that I could be poisoned from the deadly gas, since the unit was installed too close to a dryer vent and two windows.

This got me thinking about how, with the very real probability of power outages, there might be some people who will use generators without proper ventilation.

According to cdc.gov, CO is an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning. It claims the lives of hundreds of people every year and makes thousands more ill.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises using generators at least 20 feet away from homes, since there's not enough ventilation within garages and basements or near open windows to prevent fatal poisoning. Battery-powered alarms are also necessary to warn residents before carbon monoxide reaches dangerous levels.

Of course, there are also danger issues for men working on power lines, which the video above covers.

Be safe!

 

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