Another Timely Warning Re: Generators.

I'm sure many people are unaware of the risks from generators operated in enclosed areas. Sure, the supplied instructions warn of the danger but they are often not read. And anyway the operator may not be the owner with the instructions.

More can be done than simply issuing a media warning about the hazard.
The government could require that all such machines display a highly visible permanent warning on the machine that leaves no doubt of the hazard, such as: "OPERATING THIS APPLIANCE INDOORS OR IN A CONFINED SPACE IS LIKELY TO CAUSE DEATH FROM EXHAUST FUMES". No fancy words such as "asphyxiation" or long pussyfooting expressions, just..... "DO THAT AND IT WILL KILL YOU" stuff!

I have a lot of respect for Anna Bligh's management of the floods and cyclone, but would rather see action than hand-wringing.

Same if using oven or gas stove for heating in a caravan. IT WILL KILL YOU if no ventilation.

Lots of people in past used cars in garages to commit suicide so it must work.


A little common sense goes a long way.

Shame to see this happen but it may not be the last as saw a family on TV with a Gennie rigged up inside and they were going to use it there.

From what I could understand is that the generators up that way were being sold out real fast. How many of these people had even seen a generator before? New users probably read enough instructions just to get it going, and not bothered to read the warnings because they were busy getting ready for the storm.
But as was said before. It is an internal combustion engine which has an exhaust.

With no experience myself in using these, in this type of situation, is it possible to run a pipe out of the area to vent exhaust?

thats only the start of the troubles, when the power is "forcast" to be out for a while people go get gen sets, start em up and after the first day have some "brain wave" that they can rig up an extention cord, plug it into any outlet and the gen set, fire it up, turn on the wall outlet switch and it all feeds back into the whole house and presto you have all lights working at least .......
What do all forget .... to turn off and isolate the mains, it then feeds live power back up the mains from the house to the pole, pole to pole and to wires that are lying on the ground presumably "dead", alone comes the un-suspecting linesman to repair the lines and they are live .....
Yes it has happened and will happen so if you are reading this and have thought of doing it please DONT as it will KILL someone, even turing off the mains at the fuse box is not good enough ........
Cheers
Joe

Its a waste of a life but it seems like common sense not to use a motor of any type indoors. I guess he may have overlooked the danger or maybe didnt know but it is a mistake you will only make once.

Maybe it could be taught in schools ( common sense) as it does seem to be dying out.

Cheers Wilko

Hmmmm, Iwas talking to some linesmen yesterday and they were telling me that they had just had training to be careful around houses with solar panels joined to the grid as it was likely that there would be 240volts on the house side of a break, so the danger is not only with generators.
Regards Philip A

The issue with Solar panels is that while each one only produces 30 odd volts open circuit, they can & often are wired in series. You could end up with over 300V on the wires heading down to the inverter....

Sorry all but the topic is about a poor soul of 23 years who died in horrific circumstance, NOT solar power or anything like it.
Purely and simply this person was obviously either unaware of the potential danger he placed himself in, or purely ignorant of that fact and proceeded to use the gen set anyway, either which way the damage has been done.
DAZA has simply placed a reminder for us all to see of the potential dangers involved,
Don,t forget it has been suggested on this site as to the various methods of how to fit a gen set into a "box" to quieten it down and also how do I do it ?.
A lot of replies to these posts state the exhaust issue, but does the fact of exhaust pressure on the motor, or the inside temp of the "box" and the fire risk attached, due to that ?
Remember but one thing heat, fumes and electricity can all kill and DAZA has simply reminded us of that fact.
I am confident that this reminder will stir thought but the fact remains that we should be accountable for our OWN actions without the need for a full on bleep fight as to what the label says we can and cannot do with a purchase after it left the shop!
After all that, QLD people should be congratulated to the fact that after such a huge storm the fatality rate is proof enough that warnings of any type are generally, taken on board and that fact was just proven by Yasi
Regards
Paul

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