Blunt warning about petrol generators

WITH  the death of two more people from carbon monoxide poisoning from petrol generators, comes a blunt warning from the Boat Safety Scheme (BSS).

It tells that the use of petrol generators will continue to cost lives and cause misery unless boaters use them correctly, whether to charge batteries or supply power to other things in boats.

Devastating events

BSS made this blunt statement in light of the fatalities and injuries that have taken place on boats across the UK in recent years; devastating events that could have been avoided if the correct safety measures were taken.

Petrol generators can be seen as critical to some boaters wanting off-grid electrical power. Yet the fact that generators emit deadly carbon monoxide and need refuelling with highly flammable petrol means they must never be installed in an enclosed cockpit area or engine space of a boat and must never be used on or close to the boat where exhaust fumes could enter the boat and where they can cause injuries or fatalities. with Graham Watts, BSS manager, Boat Safety Scheme, explaining:

Could have been avoided

"On too many occasions we hear of fatalities or near fatalities on boats caused by the incorrect use of portable generators. The heart-breaking thing is that on most occasions the accident could have been avoided, and lives saved, if generators are used according to manufacturer's instructions—in the open and away from the boat."

The BSS makes these three basic bullet points which should always be followed:

1. Never install a portable generator permanently or make unauthorised modifications that are not supported by the manufacturer, or proprietary component supplier.
2. Never run generators on the boat, or on the bank near to the boat's doors, vents, windows and hatches. If you can smell exhaust fumes in the boat, it could mean the cabin is also filling with deadly carbon monoxide.
3. Never refuel any generator anywhere aboard the boat; take it to the bank and ensure you are a safe distance from other boats and potential sources of ignition.