Dangerous generators

Most people experiencing the daily horror of power cuts envy those with the foresight or ready cash to buy generators. However, a number of dangers lurk for the electrically independent.

“Generators emit poisonous gas and pose fire, explosion and electrocution risks,” says Gari Dombo, Managing Director of Alexander Forbes Insurance.

Petrol or diesel motors produce carbon monoxide gas which 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.

Never use a generator indoors.

“Never use a portable generator inside a home, garage, shed or other partially enclosed space,” warns Dombo. “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 CO2 alarms with battery backup in their homes or offices outside each sleeping or working area.

Petrol or diesel 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.

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

Connecting a generator to a wiring system poses many threats.

There are other dangers as well. 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.

“Poisonous gases, flammable fuels and generators can kill,” concludes Dombo. “Their producers are compelled by law to provide comprehensive precautions and handling instructions. Reading the instructions that come with these substances and equipment is therefore not optional — it is compulsory. If ignored it could make you responsible for injuring or even killing your family or staff.”

But what if your generator is lost, stolen or damaged?

But what if your generator is lost, stolen or damaged?

Finding out whether your generator is insured under your current policy or whether it requires separate cover is vital.

Given that generators should be kept under a weatherproof roof, ideally without walls, in an open, well ventilated area away from other inhabited buildings, people and equipment there is a lot that can go wrong with them.

“Housed in these conditions generators are vulnerable to fire and damage by lightening and storms. Given their re-sale value, high demand and short supply they are also obvious targets of theft,” explains Dombo.

Furthermore, since they are switched on and off and refuelled and maintained by human beings on a daily basis they are susceptible to accident and mechanical or electrical breakdown. Though most policies do not cover breakdown, policy holders might be able to buy this as an extra.

Finally, since generators run on fuel, how much and where you plan to keep this highly flammable liquid will also influence insurance considerations.

According to Dombo, if the generator is bolted to a fixed foundation it should be covered under a buildings or house-owners policy as a landlord’s fixture.

Generators fall into a grey area when it comes to deciding cover.

Most insurers, however, consider property in an open-sided structure to be ‘in the open’ and so deny or restrict damage by storm, fire or theft. As such, generators may well fall into a grey area when it comes to deciding cover.

“If the generator is not a fixture then is it covered by the household contents policy?” asks Dombo. Many policies exclude cover for property not kept in an enclosed roofed building. While insurers may extend theft cover to property in the open, a lower limit usually applies.

“Policy holders who purchase generators need to find out whether their existing cover includes their generator. As mentioned, while insurers may well be able to extend existing cover to include generators this will depend on the circumstances in which they are kept and maintained.”

Right now, however, since there is no clear cut rule Dombo suggests that generator owners stipulate generator cover in their policy to avoid being left in the dark.

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