Even outdoors, generators pose risks
A portable generator is frequently the culprit in domestic carbon monoxide poisonings—even when the device sits outside the home.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and the Florida Department of Health collected data from 10 Florida hospitals on people diagnosed with unintentional carbon monoxide poisonings between August and October 2004. Four major hurricanes pounded the state during that period, causing power outages.
The researchers identified 167 people treated for nonfatal poisonings. The illnesses stemmed from 51 incidents, 46 of which involved portable generators.