from women24
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Petrol or diesel motors produce carbon monoxide gas. Carbon monoxide is invisible and odourless. It is heavier than air, can travel long distances and will linger in confined or inadequately ventilated spaces. Known as the silent killer, it is extremely poisonous and kills in minutes.

As such Dombo warns, "Never use a portable generator inside a home, garage, shed or other partially enclosed space. Even using a fan, or opening windows and doors is not enough to prevent carbon monoxide build-up."

Instead generators should be used in the open, only covered by a roof. They should certainly not be near any of the doors, windows or vents of your home or business. Dombo also suggests that people, "Install CO alarms with battery backup in their homes or offices outside each sleeping or working area."

Furthermore, liquid fuels like petrol or diesel give off vapours heavier than air that can travel long distances and will linger in confined or inadequately ventilated spaces. These vapours are flammable and can explode under certain conditions.

Fires involving flammable liquids spread rapidly and are difficult to extinguish as it is the highly mobile vapour mixing with air that burns, not the liquid. National Building Regulations identify three classes of flammable liquids differentiated by the temperature at which their vapours ignite.

Dombo says, "You are legally allowed to store up to 40 litres of petrol (Class 1) or 200 litres of diesel (Class 11) on household premises without special storage arrangements. If you need to keep more fuel consult your local fire department to see what additional storage facilities and precautions you require to safely store these fuels."

And that's not all, connecting your generator to your home or business's electrical wiring system poses a number of threats if not properly done.

Dombo suggests people use a qualified electrical engineer or contractor to evaluate their house or business's electrical system for proper grounding and polarity – and then ensure that the correct professionals do the electrical installation.

"As a minimum this will require adding a generator transfer switch plus making wiring changes in your distribution board", says Dombo.

And when this is done ask for a Certificate of Compliance. This should be issued by an accredited person ensuring that the installation complies with electrical regulations.

Generators should also be kept dry and only touched with dry hands. If generators do get wet they should not be used.

Dombo concludes that, "Poisonous gases, flammable fuels and generators can kill. Their producers are compelled by law to provide comprehensive precautions and handling instructions.

Therefore reading the instructions that come with these substances and equipment is not optional; it is compulsory. If ignored it could make you responsible for some dire consequences."

Do you own a generator? Share your experiences in the comment box below.