It’s time to mandate safety standards for portable generators

Across the country, we see the same distressing story repeat itself again and again.

A natural disaster sweeps through an area, devastating everything in its path. Left without electricity and heat, thousands of people turn to backup power sources. For many, that backup power source is a portable generator. Maybe they have one in their garage, or maybe they head to their nearest home improvement store to buy whichever model is left on the shelves. They may not realize that by plugging in a generator, they are making a life-or-death decision.

Every year, dozens of people die — and thousands more fall seriously ill — from carbon monoxide poisoning from portable generators. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that builds up quickly in enclosed spaces. It is often called a “silent killer.” Gas-powered portable generators can emit as much carbon monoxide as 450 cars. At certain levels, just five minutes of exposure is enough to be fatal. 

Carbon monoxide poisoning has killed more than 1,000 Americans since 2005. African Americans, who make up twelve percent of the U.S. population, suffer nearly 22 percent of the portable generator-related deaths each year.

Many generator users — especially people who find themselves in the chaotic and traumatic situations that necessitate generator usage in the first place — are frequently unaware that even the slightest deviation from the instruction manual can have fatal consequences.

Michelle Seifer of Hartland, Mich., thought that she was using her portable generator safely by running it in her garage. Days later, she nearly died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Craig Curley Sr. of Jefferson Parish, La., helped his family set up a portable generator in their backyard. By the next morning, everyone in the house was dead, poisoned by carbon monoxide that likely flowed into the home through the back door.

When Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana in 2020, more deaths were caused by carbon monoxide-emitting portable generators than by the hurricane itself.  

There have been repeated efforts to regulate portable generators to make them safer and harder to misuse. In 2016, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced plans to require generators to emit less carbon monoxide. But before this rule could be implemented, federal law required CPSC to allow manufacturers to develop their own safety standards and see whether voluntary measures were sufficient to protect consumers.

They are not — and a new report released by the CPSC details exactly why. Evaluating the effectiveness of the two safety standards currently on the market, one from global safety certification company UL and one from the Portable Generators Manufacturers’ Association (PGMA), CPSC found that the UL standard would prevent 100 percent of generator-related deaths and the PGMA standard would prevent nearly 87 percent of deaths.

But these standards are only effective if they are actually being used — and as the CPSC report demonstrates, this is not the case. The report noted that compliance with the UL standard “appears to be minimal,” while compliance with the PGMA standard “although greater, is still lacking for most models or units currently being sold.”

In short: lifesaving safety features for portable generators that should be required are too often optional. Safety features can be more costly. Rather than make them standard, many manufacturers have added these features only to their premium models. Consumers who choose a cheaper model of generator have no reason to expect that may be doing so at the expense of their life. As a result, people keep dying.

That is why recently, we introduced legislation that would finally create a mandatory safety standard for portable generators. Our Portable Generator Safety STANDARD Act combines the most effective portions of the UL and PGMA standards. It would mandate lower carbon monoxide emission rates and ensure that all portable generators sold in the U.S. have shutoff features that kick in automatically if elevated carbon monoxide levels are detected.

Rarely in Washington do we come across problems that have clear-cut, bipartisan solutions — especially solutions that can have an immediate and lifesaving impact. This is one of them.

As weather disasters and the resulting power outages become more frequent and more intense, it is more important than ever that we move quickly to get mandatory generator safety standards on the books.

The tragic deaths and life-threatening injuries caused by carbon monoxide-emitting generators are 100 percent preventable. We know how to stop them; we can stop them. The clock is ticking, and American deaths are piling up.

Rush represents the 1st District of Illinois and is a member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce. Duncan represents the 3rd District of South Carolina and is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.