Keep Safe in the cold

[Tuscan]

Cold and safe is better than dead cosy

 

Just over a week ago the Boat Safety Scheme issued a necessarily blunt Generator in cabinwarning about generators. Too often its finding that boaters are running generators aboard their boat just look at some of the pictures on the right.

 

Of course, not everyone is doing it to power heaters but as winter starts to bite more might be tempted to do so. With these colder, darker months the temptation is to hunker down with the heater on and watch a film on the laptop using the genny to provide the power.

 

But the blunt warning is, well, very blunt. With 10 boaters dead and another 10 badly injured, the risk is very real. The major hazards are fires and explosions, often from petrol leaks or fuel being mishandled and the other critical issue, in fact the main killer, is Carbon Monoxide (CO) the silent killer being pumped out with as a component of the exhaust fumes.

 

Generator running on deckThe genny doesnt even need to be in the cabin. If youve got it on the external aft deck or even on the bank near one of your boats vents or windows then the fumes can steadily seep into your cabin.

 

Just earlier this week a boater was in touch with another CO-related horror story:

 

A young adult was pulled unconscious out of a boat this week by a fellow No generators on deck signboater. They were staying on a friends boat and not been shown how to use the burner. The chimney was blocked so the burner had no draw and wouldn't stay lit.

 

To keep it lit, the young person ran it with the door open and went to bed. The flue design wasn't suitable for a solid fuel stove. A hospital visit, positive test for CO and some oxygen meant no lasting damage was done but it could have been much worse.

 

Make sure you stay safe (and warm) and follow the advice on the BSS website.

[matty40s]

London will become a high risk zone if we have a really cold winter, I have been speaking to and observing lots of this years intake and they havn't got a clue.

:-(

[RLWP]

London will become a high risk zone if we have a really cold winter, I have been speaking to and observing lots of this years intake and they havn't got a clue.

:-(

 

Not surprising if you are moored three abreast. Where are you going to put the genny where it won't get nicked or fallen over by cyclists

 

Richard