Portable Generators
Generators provide power where there is none, but they produce deadly carbon monoxide and can electrocute and burn workers when used incorrectly.
- Construction
- General Industry
Photo: generator running outdoors, far from building openings, with GFCI-protected cords
Carbon monoxide kills. Never run a generator indoors, in a garage, basement, crawl space, trench or partly enclosed area, even with doors and windows open. Keep it outdoors and well away from doors, windows and air intakes. See Carbon Monoxide.
Electrical safety
- Plug tools into the generator’s GFCI-protected outlets, or use a GFCI cord.
- Ground the generator as the manufacturer requires.
- Use heavy-duty, outdoor-rated cords sized for the load.
- Keep the generator dry. In rain, run it on a dry surface under an open, canopy-like cover (never inside an enclosure).
- Never plug a generator into a building’s wiring (“backfeeding”). It can electrocute utility workers. Use a transfer switch installed by an electrician.
- Don’t overload the generator.
Fueling
- Shut it off and let it cool before refueling.
- Store fuel in approved safety cans away from the generator.
- No smoking or open flames nearby.
Video: safe generator set-up on a jobsite
Standards & references
- 29 CFR 1926.404(f)(3): Grounding of portable and vehicle-mounted generators
- OSHA Fact Sheet: Using portable generators safely
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