The frequent reports of deaths occasioned by generator fumes have been worrisome in Nigeria.
Last year, a family of seven was killed in their sleep in Lagos.
The suspected cause was ‘carbon monoxide’ from a generator positioned behind the window of their one-room apartment.
Many could not comprehend how ‘ordinary’ generator fumes could kill seamlessly.
Sadly, several of such gory tales have been reported across the country and many Nigerians are dying by installment.
Generator fumes are a mixture of toxic and environmentally unfriendly gases, including carbon monoxide which is odourless and colourless and becomes fatal with sustained concentrations.
In the face of these avoidable deaths, we must continue to sensitise ourselves on how to keep our family safe.
Undisputedly, generators have become the dominant alternative source of electricity for the majority of households in Nigeria.
Apart from their killing tendencies, some generators’ noise levels are so high that it may lead to loss of sleep, low concentration, impaired hearing, possibly raised blood pressure and other health challenges.
Here are ways to avert deaths from ‘generator fumes’:
1. Do not to leave generators on overnight: Generator fumes could kill slowly or instantly, as several deaths could be traced to inhalation of fumes over time. It is therefore advisable not to keep generators on overnight.
2. Keep them far from the house: Safety should supersede comfort. Do not operate generators indoors or in any area where ventilation is limited and people or animals are present.
3. Fumes from generators are deadly: The fumes from generators contain carbon monoxide, a poisonous, invisible and odourless gas. When inhaled, carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in the tissues and can easily lead to death.
The signs on the victims are dizziness, nausea, headache, even confusion, symptoms mistakenly attributed to too alcohol intake or intoxication.
4. Keep the exhaust pipe facing the open air: The fumes emitted by generators also have long-term hazards as a possible cause of lung cancer. It is therefore advisable to keep the exhaust pipe facing the open air.
5. Creating space: Almost every family, living in a “face-me-I-face-you” apartment, have a small power generating set, popularly known as “I-better-pass-my-neighbour”.
So bad is the situation that in some houses as many as 10 generating sets could be found within a radius of five metres. This is very dangerous.
On a final note, the public should be adequately enlightened on the dangers posed by generators, and how they can be safely used, mostly at homes. This should be the responsibility of the health and environment authorities at both the federal and state levels. By so doing, we will be able to save ourselves from avoidable deaths
