Generators that aren’t installed correctly put you, your workers, your property and our line crews at risk.

Safety at Home

Working or playing around electricity can be dangerous. Here are some tips to keep you safe at home and in your community. 

How To Stay Safe When Using Generators

Generators that aren’t installed correctly put you, your family, your property and our line crews at risk.

Safe Installation

  • Never feed power from your generator into a wall outlet or directly into your electrical system. This could allow power to back-feed into BLPC’s system and result in severe injury or death to our employees.
  • When power is restored after and outage, it may feed directly into your generator, causing severe damage. To eliminate this dangerous situation, a transfer switch is required to be properly installed by a qualified electrician.

Safe Operation

  • Carefully read the owner's manual before using your generator.
  • Never operate the generator indoors or in an enclosed space. Generators emit deadly carbon monoxide fumes. Operate outdoors in a well-ventilated, dry area to prevent exhaust fumes from entering windows, doors and fresh air intake areas.
  • Operating your generator in wet conditions may cause electrocution. Avoid contact with the generator if you are wet or standing in water.
  • Check cords running from your generator to make sure they are in good condition, rated for outdoor use and are the proper wire gauge size for the appliance load. Do not store fuel indoors or refuel your generator while it's running.

Carbon Monoxide Can Kill

  • Carbon monoxide is a gas you cannot see or smell created by the combustion of fuels, such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane.
  • Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can include headache, nausea, dizziness, and blurred vision.
  • It is essential that generators are installed properly, outside, and away from any potential point of entry that would allow fumes into your home or business.
  • Install a carbon monoxide detector in your homes if you plan to use a generator.