EDITOR:
Prior to the latest power outage caused by tropical storm Adrian, we invested in a small generator which sat in its box until Adrian's arrival. One has to do their own research on these machines as there are still no comprehensive public information sessions on them.
Although most people are aware of the risk of lethal carbon monoxide poisoning caused by running a generator indoors, many of us are unaware that running a generator outdoors in bad weather (when you most likely need it), for example, rain or snow is another restriction due to the risk of electrocution. Since finding this out, more research was required. It turns out that an entrepreneur in the U.S. started selling covers for various generators back in 2012 once he, too, got over the initial shock of not being able to run his machine safely in all conditions. If government agencies want to help us become more self-reliant during storms, they should consider including more detailed information on how to properly choose and operate generators. Data on whether certain covers are CSA approved, for example, would be helpful.
Giselle Déziel,
Cornwall
