Generator deaths in Florida

[Chemsoldier]

No, not lack of generator power in nursing homes, deaths of people who tried to run generators inside homes.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/09/27/citing-florida-deaths-nelson-grills-regulator-slow-response-generator-safety/709461001/

I feel bad that people (and their children) died, but damn. Use thet things right.  Building them to not emit CO or automatically shut off if CO spikes is just going to make them more expensive, bulkier or less effective.

[Alan Georges]

This happens after every hurricane.  Somehow, there's always somebody who doesn't get the word not to run a generator inside.  My heart goes out to the kids who pay for their parents' stupidity.  As for adults who do this, I have nothing for them.

OK, maybe add a CO detector & shut-off.  But for every idiot this saves, how many people will die when their refrigerated medication spoils because the CO detector malfunctioned and wouldn't let the generator run?  There's always a cost to these things, a risk whenever complexity is increased.

[never_retreat]

Really a co detector on the generator. What do they last 5 years when stationary in a house.
I can see those being ripped off faster than recoil cords.

[Alan Georges]

Aw hell, I'll go ahead and say it.

Stupidity cannot be cured. Stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death. There is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.
-Robert A. Heinlein

Too bad about the kids though.

[iam4liberty]

OK, maybe add a CO detector & shut-off.  But for every idiot this saves, how many people will die when their refrigerated medication spoils because the CO detector malfunctioned and wouldn't let the generator run?  There's always a cost to these things, a risk whenever complexity is increased.

Earlier this week i went through AED (automated external defibrillator) training as we are adding them to our local range. One thing that impressed me is that they have integrated voice instructions on how to use.  How about instead of adding co2 detectors which can have a lot of problems they just add in warning messages when the generator has power output?  Something like: "warning generator is running.  Ensure that generator is placed outdoors.  Leaving inside a structure could result in death."  A voice prompt like that would literally cost pennies to add.

[machinisttx]

Putting a CO detector/shutdown device on a CO producing tool intended for outdoor use is on par with making sure all your knives are dull. Why do I suspect this guy has some sort of ties to a company that would produce such a device for sale?

@ Alan Georges: I like that quote. 

[Carl]

  You just can't legislate or regulate stupidity and artificial intelligence will always meet it's match with natural stupidity.

[suzysurvivor]

actually, nursing homes don't have people on life-support in them.  Those acute cases are in hospitals.  A generator in a nursing home is just to keep the lights on and food storage/preparation. 

[Citizen Zero]

In response to iam4liberty

Stupidity cannot be cured. Stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death. There is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.
-Robert A. Heinlein

What about the numerous warning stickers that are placed on the devices, and how many more warnings are in the manual that most don't bother to read?

In cases like this, ignorance is fatal. Yes, it sounds harsh for me to say that, but if one is to survive you need to observe the safety rules for the technology that you choose to implement. Ignorance will generally ensure that you are subject to the fore-mentioned quote (not to mention those that you take down with you in the process) >.<

As always, just my $.02

C0