Customer safety is extremely important to Delaney Chevrolet Buick Honda, Inc. and that’s why we want to encourage discussions about generator safety. All too often, we hear about preventable deaths when generator safety isn’t a high priority, resulting in Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning. In fact about 170 people in the U.S. die every year from CO produced by non-automotive consumer products.
These products include Honda’s engine powered equipment such as generators for the construction and rental industries, backup power during outages, camping equipment and other outdoor events. CO is a deadly, colorless, odorless and can kill within minutes.
Delaney Chevrolet Buick Honda, Inc. wants you to be safe. Many people don’t know the only safe place to have a generator is outdoors, away from doors and windows. In closed areas, even with open doors and windows, these spaces can trap CO and allow it to quickly build to lethal levels. So we need to learn and share how to practice generator safety.
Did you know generators …
· Exhaust contains toxic CO.
· Connected to a building improperly could allow electrical current to feed back into utility lines, creating an electrocution hazard for utility workers.
· Using a generator with wet hands or in wet conditions could result in electrocution.
· Run on gasoline and to avoid explosive situations, don’t refuel while the engine is hot and running and keep flammables away from the generator when it’s running.
· Become very hot during operation and remain hot for a while after the engine stops. Be careful not to touch the muffler while it is hot, and let the engine cool before storing the generator indoors.
CO initial symptoms are similar to the flu (without the fever), shortness of breath, nausea and dizziness. Higher level symptoms of CO poisoning include mental confusion, vomiting, loss of muscular coordination and consciousness and death. If you think you have been exposed to toxic levels of CO, get outside immediately for fresh air, call 911 and tell them you suspect you’ve been exposed to CO poisoning. This winter, Delaney Chevrolet Buick Honda, Inc. wants us all to be safer by telling our family and friends about CO dangers and how we can avoid catastrophes. Consider purchasing CO detectors as gifts for ourselves and loved ones. We definitely want to read our generator manuals and encourage others to read them too and share the information, and take time to review generator labels for more safety specifics.
Delaney Chevrolet Buick Honda, Inc., 626 Water St Indiana, PA 15701-1811, (724) 349-3000 is here to answer your questions and help with your generator needs.