Incidents, Deaths, and In-Depth Investigations 

Associated with Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide 

from Engine-Driven Generators and Other 

Engine-Driven Tools, 2004-2013 

Matthew V. Hnatov 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 

Directorate for Epidemiology 

Division of Hazard Analysis 

4330 East West Highway 

Bethesda, MD 20814 

June 2014 

This analysis was prepared by the CPSC staff and it has not been reviewed or approved by, and may not necessarily 

reflect the views of, the Commission. 

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Page 2

Table of Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................. 7

I. Reported Numbers of Fatalities by Engine-Driven Tool (EDT) Product Type ........................................................... 9

Table 1: Number of Reported Fatal Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Exposure Incidents and Deaths Associated with Engine-Driven 

Tools, 2004–2013...............................................................................................................................................................10

Table 2: Number of Reported Fatal Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Exposure Incidents and Deaths Associated with Engine-Driven 

Tools by Number of Deaths per Incident, 2004–2013 .........................................................................................................11

Table 3: Number of Reported Fatal Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Exposure Incidents and Deaths Associated with Engine-Driven 

Tools by Year, 2004–2013 ..................................................................................................................................................12

II. Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Victims and EDT Use Patterns..................................................................... 13

Table 4: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with Engine-Driven Tools by Age of Victim, 

2004–2013.........................................................................................................................................................................13

Table 5: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with Engine-Driven Tools by Gender of Victim, 

2004–2013.........................................................................................................................................................................14

Table 6: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with Engine-Driven Tools by Race/Ethnicity of 

Victim, 2004–2013 .............................................................................................................................................................14

Table 7: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Incidents and Fatalities Associated with Engine-Driven Tools by 

Season, 2004–2013 ............................................................................................................................................................15

Table 8: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Incidents and Fatalities Associated with Engine-Driven Tools 

by Location, 2004–2013 ............................................................................................................................................................ 17

Table 9: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with Engine-Driven Tools by Population 

Density of Place of Death, 2004–2013................................................................................................................................18

III. Alarm Usage.................................................................................................................................................................... 19

Table 10: Carbon Monoxide Alarm Usage Associated with Engine-Driven Tools Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths, 

2004–2013.........................................................................................................................................................................20

IV. Hazard Patterns Associated with Generators.............................................................................................................. 21

Table 11: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities for Incidents that Occurred at a Fixed-Structure Home 

Associated with Generators1 by Reason for Use, 2004–2013..............................................................................................22

Table 12: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities for Incidents that Occurred at a Fixed-Structure Home 

Associated with Generators1 by Reason for Power Outage, 2004–2013 .............................................................................23

Table 13: Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths in the Fixed-Structure Home Location1 by Location of the Generator,2

2004–2013.........................................................................................................................................................................25

Table 14: Non-Fire CO Fatalities in the Fixed-Structure Home1 Reported to CPSC Staff and Associated with Generators2

Categorized by Status of Ventilation, 2004–2013 ...............................................................................................................26

Table 15: Non-Fire CO Fatalities in the Fixed-Structure Home1 Reported to CPSC Staff and Associated with Generators2

Categorized by Size of Home, 2004–2013...........................................................................................................................28

Table 16: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with Generators1 Categorized by Generator 

Wattage Rating, 2004–2013...............................................................................................................................................29
Page 3

Table 17: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities for Incidents that Occurred at a Fixed-Structure Home 

Associated with Generators1 Categorized by Generator Wattage Rating and Home Size, 2004–2013 .................................30

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................. 31

References.................................................................................................................................................................................. 32

Appendix A: Epidemiology Data Retrieval Specifics............................................................................................................. 33

Appendix B: Carboxyhemoglobin Levels Present in CO Fatalities...................................................................................... 34

Table B-1: Carboxyhemoglobin Levels Associated with Engine-Driven Tools Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths, 

2004–20131

........................................................................................................................................................................34

Appendix C: Historical Data................................................................................................................................................... 35

Figure 1: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with Engine-Driven Tools, 1999–2013 ....35
Page 4

Executive Summary

This report summarizes non-fire carbon monoxide (CO) incidents associated with engine-driven 

generators and other engine-driven tools that occurred between 2004 and 2013, and were reported to 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff as of May 1, 2014. It should be noted that 

due to incident reporting delays, statistics for the most recent years should be considered 

incomplete, as data collection is still ongoing. In this report, the two most recent years, 2012 and 

2013, are identified as being incomplete because the numbers for these years most likely will

increase in future reports. Throughout this report, the number of deaths represents a count of the 

fatalities associated with generators and other engine-driven tools, such as power lawn mowers, 

garden tractors, portable pumps, power sprayers and washers, snow blowers, and concrete saws that 

were reported to CPSC staff. Additionally included in this report are summaries of fatal, non-fire 

CO incidents, where an engine-driven tool (EDT) and one or more other fuel-burning consumer 

products

1 also may have been involved and the EDT was believed to be, at least, a contributing 

factor to the fatal levels of CO. These fatalities are characterized in the “Multiple Product” 

category. This report also provides a more detailed summary of fatal, non-fire CO poisoning 

incidents associated with engine-driven tools, with particular emphasis on cases involving generator 

use, based on information found in the CPSC’s In-Depth Investigation (INDP) File.

Some of the findings of this report are provided below:

CO Fatalities Associated with All EDTs and by EDT Product Type:

• From 2004 through 2013, 808 fatalities from 629 incidents were associated with the use of 

engine-driven tools, or engine-driven tools used in conjunction with another potentially COemitting consumer product.

• The total number of reported fatalities for 2004 through 2013 increased by 67 from the 741

fatalities summarized in the August 2013 report, including 47 deaths in 2013, plus 12 deaths 

for 2012 and 8 for 2011 that were previously not reported. 

• As of May 1, 2014, there were 47 reported non-fire CO fatalities in 2013, from a total of 36

incidents. Forty-one of these deaths (30 incidents) involved only a generator and no other 

product; four deaths (four incidents) were associated with a non-generator other enginedriven tool (OEDT); and two deaths (two incidents) were associated with multiple fuelburning consumer products, one of which was a generator.

• From 2004 to 2013, of the 808 fatalities from 629 incidents:

o 657 fatalities (81%) from 489 incidents were associated with generators; 

o 103 fatalities (13%) from 101 incidents involved other engine-driven tools; and 

o 48 fatalities (6%) from 39 incidents involved multiple fuel-burning consumer 

products, where one product was either a generator (46 of 48 deaths) or an OEDT (2

of 48 deaths), and the other product was a non-EDT. 

 1 Combustion consumer products produce heat or energy by burning a fuel source. It should be noted that all fuel-burning consumer 

products may produce gases that contain CO because CO is a by-product of incomplete combustion.
Page 5

• Of the 39 incidents that involved multiple consumer products, all involved either a heating 

or cooking product as the second product. Most commonly, the second product was a 

portable LP- or kerosene-fueled portable heater. 

• Twenty-five percent of generator-related, non-fire CO incidents caused multiple fatalities, 

while only two of the OEDT-related incidents (2%) involved multiple fatalities.

Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Victims and EDT-Use Patterns:

• Eighty-three percent of generator-related victims were known to be 25 years old or older. 

By contrast, 99 percent of OEDT-related victims (all but one) were 25 years old or older.

• Three-quarters of the generator-related, non-fire CO victims were male; while 97 percent 

(all but three) of the OEDT-related fatalities were male. 

• Twenty-four percent of generator-related, non-fire CO fatalities were non-Hispanic Black or 

African American, double the combined non-Hispanic Black and African American 

proportion of the U.S. population. Eighty-nine percent of other engine-driven tool-related, 

non-fire CO fatalities were non-Hispanic White, much higher than the non-Hispanic White 

proportion (65%) of the U.S. population. 

• Nearly half of generator-related, non-fire CO fatalities (349 of 703) occurred in the four cold 

months of the year (November through February); while CO fatalities associated with 

OEDTs were only slightly more prevalent in the cold months (37%) than in the transitional 

and warm months (32% and 30%, respectively).

• Seventy-five percent of the generator-related fatalities occurred in fixed-structure homes;

while 70 percent of OEDT fatalities occurred in fixed-structure homes.

• Fifty-eight percent of the EDT-related fatalities are known to have occurred in urban areas. 

Sixteen percent occurred in small rural and isolated areas, nearly double the proportion of 

the U.S. population that lives in such areas.

CO Alarm Usage:

• A CO alarm was reported to have been present in only 19 of 250 incidents where alarm 

presence was known, which accounted for 29 of 346 (8%) EDT-related CO fatalities. In 

seven of the incidents (14 deaths), the alarm was inoperable due to no batteries, batteries 

inserted incorrectly, probable drained batteries, or no electric current. The alarm sounded in 

six incidents (seven deaths), but the signal was either misunderstood, the alarm was 

subsequently disarmed (batteries removed after alarming), or the alarm sounded inside the 

house while the fatality occurred inside an attached garage (presumably, the death occurred 

in the garage before CO levels increased inside the house sufficient to set off the CO alarm). 

Additionally, there were six incidents (eight deaths) in which the presence of a CO alarm 

was noted, but it is unknown if the alarm sounded during the event.

Hazard Patterns Associated with Generators:

• Twenty-nine percent of all generator-related, non-fire CO deaths (206 of 703) from 2004

through 2013 were associated with power outages, mostly due to weather-related issues. 

The two most common causes of weather-related outages leading to fatal incidents were 

ice/snow storms (71 incidents, 95 deaths) and hurricanes/tropical storms (42 incidents, 61 

deaths). The second most common reason for generator usage in the reported CO fatalities 
Page 6

was due to power shut-off, accounting for 20 percent (141 deaths from 107 incidents) of the 

all reported fatalities.

• Five hundred twenty-eight non-fire CO fatalities (395 incidents) that occurred in fixedstructure homes were associated with a generator or a generator in use with another potential 

CO-generating consumer product. Sixty-seven percent (354 deaths, 258 incidents) occurred 

when the generator was placed inside the living area of the home, including the basement, 

closets, and doorways, but excluding the attached garage, enclosed carport, or attached barn.

• Two-thirds of generator-related, non-fire fatal CO incidents in fixed-structure homes (for

which information on ventilation of the generator was available) occurred when no 

ventilation of the generator was attempted. 

• Fifty-nine percent of the generator-related, non-fire fatal CO incidents in fixed-structure

homes, where the size of the home was known and the generator was not located in an 

external structure, occurred in houses less than 1,500 square feet in size; 85 percent occurred 

in houses less than 2,000 square feet in size.

• Sixty-three percent (150 of 240) of fatal CO incidents, where the size of the generator was 

known, were associated with generators in the 3,500 to 6,499 watt range; 44% (105 of 240)

were associated with generators in the 5,000 to 6,499 watt range.

Carboxyhemoglobin Levels in CO Fatality Victims:

• Of the CO fatality victims associated with engine-driven tools, 79 percent had 

carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels at or above the 50 percent level when the COHb level 

was known.

2

Note: Throughout this report, the years 2012 and 2013 are italicized in table headings, indicating 

that incident and death counts may change as additional information is received due to reporting 

delays. Incident and death counts may change for other years, but to a much smaller extent.

 2 As levels rise above 40 percent COHb, death is possible in healthy individuals and becomes increasingly likely with prolonged 

exposures that maintain levels in the 40 percent to 60 percent range.
Page 7

Introduction

The following U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) databases were searched to 

prepare the statistics recorded in this report: the In-Depth Investigation (INDP) File, the Injury or 

Potential Injury Incident (IPII) File, and the Death Certificate (DTHS) File. See Appendix A for the 

codes and keywords used in the database searches. The data records were combined and collated to 

develop the most complete records possible in a single database. At this stage, each record was 

reviewed to determine whether the incident was in scope for this report and to correct any 

discrepancies between information from the different sources. (See Appendix A for the specifics of 

scope determination.) It should be noted that reporting may not be complete, and this report reflects 

only those incidents reported and entered into CPSC databases on or before May 1, 2014. All fatal, 

unintentional, non-fire carbon monoxide (CO) incidents associated with engine-driven tools (EDTs) 

found during the database search that were determined to be in scope were included.

CPSC records contain information on 808 non-fire CO fatalities associated with EDTs during the 

years 2004 through 2013. Last year’s report, dated August 2013, contained summary information 

and analyses for the 14-year period, 1999−2012. The current report limits the reporting period to 10 

years, 2004−2013. Since the last report in 2013, there have been 67 new CO fatalities associated 

with engine-driven tools reported to CPSC. This is an increase of 67 fatalities from the 741

fatalities over the period of 2004−2012 reported in the August 2013 report on non-fire CO fatalities 

associated with EDTs, which included data entered into CPSC databases as of April 23, 2013.

3

 

Changes to previous report:

• 2011 – Eight new single-fatality incidents added.

• 2012 – Eleven new incidents added, accounting for 12 deaths.

• 2013 – Thirty-six new incidents added, accounting for 47 deaths.

Forty-five of the 47 fatalities reported to CPSC that occurred in 2013 were associated with 

generators or other engine-driven tools (OEDT) as the only known sources of the CO. Two

additional fatalities were associated with the use of a generator and a portable LP heater. Incidents 

associated with generators that were specifically reported as integral parts of recreational vehicles 

(RVs), motor homes, or boats are not within the jurisdiction of the CPSC; and thus, these incidents 

were considered out of scope and were not included. For example, generators that were reportedly

mounted to an RV were not included, nor were boat generators that were installed by the boat 

manufacturer. Because incidents in recreational vehicles and boats can be associated with a 

portable generator or an integral generator, those incidents in which the type of generator could not 

be determined were also excluded from the analysis.

Any incident that was determined to be other than unintentional in nature was considered to be out 

of scope, as were work-related incidents, which are not within the jurisdiction of the CPSC.

 3 Hnatov, M. V. Incidents, Deaths, and In-Depth Investigations Associated with Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide from Engine-Driven 

Generators and Other Engine-Driven Tools, 1999–2012. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. August 2013.
Page 8

This report is divided into four sections: 

I. Reported Numbers of Fatalities by EDT Product Type. This presents an overall picture 

of CO fatalities associated with engine-driven tools.

II. Socio-Demographics of Victims and EDT Use Patterns. This presents various sociodemographic summaries helpful in identifying specific characteristics of CO fatality 

victims and usage patterns, such as when and where fatalities occurred.

III. Alarm Usage. This presents information on CO alarm usage during fatal CO events.

IV. Hazard Patterns Associated with Generators. This presents data specific to generator 

usage patterns that may lead to fatal CO poisoning events.

Additionally, Appendix B presents summary findings on carboxyhemoglobin levels in the blood of 

victims of CO poisoning involving EDT use, which are helpful in assessing the hazard presented by 

the product and the speed of onset of harm.
Page 9

I. Reported Numbers of Fatalities by Engine-Driven Tool (EDT) Product 

Type

As of May 1, 2014, CPSC staff had records indicating that there were 36 fatal, non-fire carbon 

monoxide (CO) exposure incidents involving engine-driven tools between January 1, 2013 and 

December 31, 2013. Forty-seven deaths occurred in these 36 fatal CO incidents. Table 1 presents 

the reported fatal incidents and the number of deaths in 2013, along with a summary of CO 

incidents and fatalities associated with engine-driven tools for the 10-year period from 2004 through 

2013. The table records the number of incidents and deaths by the broad categories of 

“Generators,” “Other Engine-Driven Tools,” and “Multiple Products.” Multiple product incidents 

are fatal CO poisonings that involved multiple fuel-burning consumer products that generate CO, at 

least one being an EDT, or in which investigating authorities could not determine which of multiple 

consumer products in use at the time of the incident was the source of the CO. CPSC staff is aware 

of 48 fatalities associated with multiple consumer products, occurring between 2004 and 2013; two

of these fatalities occurred in 2013. Multiple product incidents, where one of the sources of CO is 

not under the CPSC’s jurisdiction, such as automobiles, boats, or recreational vehicles, were 

determined to be out of scope and are not included in this report. Following Table 1, Multiple 

Product incidents will be included in the summary for the involved engine-driven tool type, either 

“Generators” or “Other Engine-Driven Tools.”

Within each broad category, the frequency of reports is summarized by product type. Staff is aware 

of 629 incidents with a total of 808 deaths due to non-fire CO exposure that occurred between 2004

and 2013, involving engine-driven tools. 

In Table 1, the product type “welder” appears in both the “Generator” and “Other Engine-Driven 

Tool” categories. Some welding equipment is designed to be used as a welder or as an electric 

generator. Two of the fatal, non-fire CO incidents associated with the use of welding equipment

that occurred between 2004 and 2013, involved the use of the welder as a generator during a power 

outage. Each of these two incidents involved a single death. There were three fatal, non-fire CO 

incidents between 2004 and 2013, which were associated with the use of welder equipment, where 

it was not specifically identified as being used as a generator. Of these three incidents, one incident 

involved two deaths.

All but one of the 48 non-fire, CO fatalities in the “Multiple Products” category for 2004–2013

involved a heating- or cooking-related consumer product other than an EDT. The one incident not 

involving a heating- or cooking-related consumer product involved a gasoline-fueled, walk-behind 

mower and a gasoline-fueled trimmer, also running in a closed garage.
Page 10

Table 1: Number of Reported Fatal Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Exposure Incidents and 

Deaths Associated with Engine-Driven Tools, 2004–2013

Product

2012 2013 Total: 2004–2013

Number of 

Incidents

Number of 

Deaths

Number of 

Incidents

Number of 

Deaths

Number of 

Incidents

Number of 

Deaths

Total Engine-Driven Tools 43 49 36 47 629 808

Generators 37 43 30 41 489 657

 Generator, portable 37 43 30 41 484 650

 Generator, fixed 0 0 0 0 3 5

 Welder (used as a generator)1 0 0 0 0 2 2

Other Engine-Driven Tools (OEDT) 5 5 4 4 101 103

 Lawn mowers 4 4 2 2 54 54

 Riding lawn mower/Garden tractor 4 4 2 2 47 47

 Push lawn mower 0 0 0 0 2 2

 Powered lawn mower, unspecified type 0 0 0 0 5 5

 Power washer/sprayer 0 0 0 0 11 11

 Snow blower 0 0 0 0 10 10

 All-terrain vehicle 1 1 0 0 7 8

 Welder (used as welder or other reason)1 0 0 0 0 3 4

 Water pump 0 0 1 1 5 5

 Concrete saw 0 0 0 0 2 2

 Air compressor 0 0 0 0 2 2

 Paint sprayer 0 0 0 0 1 1

 Snowmobile 0 0 0 0 1 1

 Go-cart 0 0 0 0 1 1

 Tiller 0 0 0 0 1 1

 Small engine (unknown use) 0 0 0 0 1 1

 Edger 0 0 0 0 1 1

 Stump Grinder 0 0 1 1 1 1

Multiple Products2 1 1 2 2 39 48

 Generator + Other Consumer Product 1 1 2 2 37 46

 OEDT + Other Consumer Product3 0 0 0 0 2 2

1 Some welding equipment is designed to be used as either a welder or a generator.

2 “Multiple Products” includes incidents involving generators or OEDTs with other combustion fuel-burning consumer products. 

“Other Consumer Products” includes one or more of the following: portable LP-fueled heaters, portable kerosene-fueled 

heaters, camp stoves, lanterns, outdoor cookers, furnaces, and wood stoves.

3 The two incidents associated with an OEDT and another consumer product include the following engine-driven tools: one 

incident involved two gasoline-fueled lawn mowers and an LP heater, and the other incident involving a gasoline-fueled lawn 

mower and a gasoline-fueled trimmer. 

Note: Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.
Page 11

Four hundred eighty-nine of the 629 incidents reported to CPSC staff during the 2004−2013 period 

were associated with a generator and accounted for 657 of the 808 CO deaths (81%). Additionally, 

46 other CO fatalities from 37 incidents were associated with the use of a generator and another 

combustion consumer product—most commonly an LP- or kerosene-fueled heater. Throughout the 

remainder of this report, incidents associated with all non-generator engine-driven tools are reported 

as a group. In addition, because the majority of incidents were associated with generators, 

characteristics of these incidents are reported separately in Section IV. More than half of the nonfire, non-generator CO fatalities (56 of 105, 53%) involved a garden tractor or other powered lawn 

mower (including both of the multiple product incidents). Deaths associated with powered lawn 

mowers were often associated with an individual repairing or working on the product in an enclosed 

space. 

CPSC staff examined the number of deaths associated with each fatal incident (Table 2). Of the 

629 fatal incidents, 79 percent involved a single fatality. Seventy-five percent (396 of 526) of the 

fatal generator-related incidents involved a single fatality. One incident involving a generator 

resulted in the deaths of six individuals, and two others involved five fatalities. Of the 103 fatal

incidents in the “Other Engine-Driven Tools” category, two incidents resulted in more than one 

fatality. 

Table 2: Number of Reported Fatal Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Exposure Incidents and 

Deaths Associated with Engine-Driven Tools by Number of Deaths per Incident, 2004–2013

Number of Deaths 

Reported in Incident1

All Engine-Driven 

Tools (EDTs) Generator Other Engine-Driven Tools (OEDTs)

All Incidents 629 100% 526 100% 103 100%

1 497 79% 396 75% 101 98%

2 99 16% 97 18% 2 2%

3 22 3% 22 4% 0 0%

4 8 1% 8 2% 0 0%

5 2 < 1% 2 < 1% 0 0%

6 1 < 1% 1 < 1% 0 0%

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT COUNTS IN THIS TABLE ONLY: One incident included in this table involved an in-scope, generatorrelated death and an out-of-scope death (work related). Because two fatalities were involved in the incident, this incident is included 

as a two-fatality incident. The out-of-scope fatality is not included elsewhere in the report. Therefore, in this table only, there is one 

additional fatality reported. The in-scope fatality was a generator-related fatality, so it is included in the “Generator” and “Total” 

columns.

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

CPSC staff summarized the number of reported deaths associated with engine-driven tools by year 

of death (Table 3). It should be noted that the values in Table 3 represent the number of deaths 

reported to CPSC staff as of May 1, 2014. Some deaths are reported to CPSC staff shortly after an 

incident occurs, while other deaths are reported to CPSC staff months or even years after an 

incident occurs. Therefore, counts for more recent years may not be as complete as counts for 
Page 12

earlier years and may change in the future. Thirty percent (20 of 67) of the reported fatalities new 

to the report were for years prior to 2013.

The average number of non-fire CO fatalities associated with both generators and other enginedriven tools for years 2009 through 2011 is also presented in Table 3. These 3 years represent the 

most recent years for which CPSC staff believes reporting is substantially complete. Due to 

reporting delays, these averages may change slightly in the future when data are complete. Figure 1 

in Appendix C illustrates the historical trend in engine-driven, tool-related, non-fire CO fatalities 

since 1999. 

Table 3: Number of Reported Fatal Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Exposure Incidents and 

Deaths Associated with Engine-Driven Tools by Year, 2004–2013

Year

All Engine-Driven 

Tools (EDTs) Generators Other Engine-Driven Tools (OEDTs)

Incidents Deaths Incidents Deaths Incidents Deaths

Total 629 808 526 703 103 105

2004 50 62 35 47 15 15

2005 93 116 80 103 13 13

2006 79 109 63 93 16 16

2007 69 82 58 71 11 11

2008 77 102 70 95 7 7

2009 55 76 45 66 10 10

2010 46 57 36 45 10 12

2011 81 108 69 96 12 12

2012 43 49 38 44 5 5

2013 36 47 32 43 4 4

Average:

2009–2011 61 80 50 69 11 11

Notes: Detail averages may not sum to total average due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.
Page 13

II. Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Victims and EDT Use Patterns 

This section presents socio-demographic information about the victims of reported fatal CO 

incidents associated with engine-driven tools (EDTs). Tables 4, 5, and 6 present summaries of 

socio-demographic characteristics of the victims. Table 4 presents the distribution of ages of the 

victims. Victims age 25 years or older accounted for about 86 percent (687 of 802) of reported 

non-fire, CO poisoning deaths associated with all engine-driven tools, where the victim’s age is 

known. Victims with a reported age of 25 years or older accounted for about 84 percent (583 of the 

697 victims where the age was known) of non-fire CO poisoning deaths associated with generators 

and accounted for all but one of the deaths (104 of 105) associated with other engine-driven tools. 

Eighty-eight percent of the non-fire CO fatalities associated with non-generator, engine-driven tools 

(92 of 105) involved victims age 45 or older. 

It appears from the data summary that EDT-related CO fatalities have been occurring at a higher 

rate to older consumers. Fifty-six percent of the CO fatalities were over the age of 44, while only 

39 percent of the U.S. population was above 44 years of age during this time period. By contrast, 

only 14 percent of EDT-related victims were below the age of 25, while 34 percent of the U.S. 

population was below 25 years of age during this time period. 

Table 4: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with EngineDriven Tools by Age of Victim, 2004–2013

Age

Percentage of 

Mid-Point

Estimated U.S. 

Resident 

Population1

All Engine-Driven Tools 

(EDTs) Generators Other Engine-Driven Tools (OEDTS)

Deaths Percentage Deaths Percentage Deaths Percentage

Total 100% 808 100% 703 100% 105 100%

Under 5 7% 11 1% 11 2% 0 0%

5–14 13% 29 4% 29 4% 0 0%

15–24 14% 75 9% 74 10% 1 1%

25–44 27% 235 29% 223 32% 12 12%

45–64 26% 310 38% 257 37% 53 50%

65 and over 13% 142 18% 103 15% 39 37%

Adult, age unknown - 6 1% 6 1% 0 0%

1 This percentage represents the average 2008/2009 mid-point percentage of the 10-year period 2004 through 2013. 

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

Table 5 presents the distribution of the gender of the victims. Male victims accounted for 78

percent of the deaths associated with all engine-driven tools when the gender of the victim is 

known. Male victims comprised 75 percent of the deaths associated with generators and 97 percent 

of non-generator, engine-driven tool fatalities.
Page 14

Table 5: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with EngineDriven Tools by Gender of Victim, 2004–2013

Gender

All Engine-Driven Tools 

(EDTs) Generators All Other Engine-Driven Tools (OEDTs)

Deaths Percentage Deaths Percentage Deaths Percentage

Total 808 100% 703 100% 105 100%

Male 632 78% 530 75% 102 97%

Female 174 22% 171 24% 3 3%

Unknown 2 < 1% 2 < 1% 0 0%

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

Table 6 presents a summary of the race/ethnicity of the reported CO fatalities associated with 

engine-driven tools. The percentage of generator-related CO fatalities identified as “Black/African 

American” (24% of deaths) was double the proportion classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as 

“Black/African Americans” in the U.S. population (an estimated 12%). The percentage of the nongenerator, engine drive tools-related CO fatalities identified as “White” (89% of deaths) was much 

higher than proportion classified as “White” by of the U.S. Census Bureau (an estimated 65% of the 

U.S. population). 

Table 6: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with EngineDriven Tools by Race/Ethnicity of Victim, 2004–2013

Race / Ethnicity

Percentage of 

Mid-Point

Estimated U.S. 

Resident 

Population1

All Engine-Driven Tools 

(EDTs) Generators All Other Engine-Driven Tools (OEDTs)

Deaths Percentage Deaths Percentage Deaths Percentage

Total 808 100% 703 100% 105 100%

White 65% 498 62% 405 58% 93 89%

Black/African 

American 12% 171 21% 169 24% 2 2%

Hispanic

(any race) 15% 82 10% 80 11% 2 2%

Asian 4% 14 2% 13 2% 1 1%

Native American 1% 6 1% 6 1% 0 0%

Other / Unknown < 1% 37 5% 30 4% 7 7%

2 This percentage represents the average 2008/2009 mid-point percentage of the 10-year period 2004 through 2013. All 

categories, with the exception of “Hispanic (any race)” are non-Hispanic averages.

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Sources: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

U. S. Census Department, The 2012 Statistical Abstract - The National Data Book, Table 6.
Page 15

Staff examined reported deaths associated with engine-driven tools by the time of year that the 

incident occurred (Table 7). The non-fire CO fatalities were classified into one of three categories,

depending on the month in which the incident occurred: Cold months, Warm months, and 

Transitional months. “Cold months” are November, December, January, and February; “Warm 

months” are May, June, July, and August; and “Transitional months” are March, April, September, 

and October. 

Half (50%) of the non-fire CO deaths associated with generators occurred in the cold months of 

November through February. Many of the fatalities can be directly associated with the use of 

generators during power outages due to weather conditions, such as ice or snow storms. Thirty 

percent of the generator-related CO deaths occurred in the transitional months of March, April, 

September, and October. A large portion of the non-fire CO fatalities in the transitional months can 

be directly associated with the use of generators during power outages, due to hurricanes and 

tropical storms, many of which occurred in September and, to a lesser extent, October. Additional

details on this issue are presented in Section IV of this report. 

For OEDTs, CO fatalities were only slightly more prevalent in the cold months (37%) than the 

transitional months (32%) and warm months (30%). 

Table 7: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Incidents and Fatalities Associated 

with Engine-Driven Tools by Season, 2004–2013

Season Incident Occurred All Engine-Driven 

Tools (EDTs) Generators

Other EngineDriven Tools 

(OEDTs)

Total

Incidents 629 100% 526 100% 103 100%

Deaths 808 100% 703 100% 105 100%

Cold months

Incidents 306 49% 268 51% 38 37%

Deaths 388 48% 349 50% 39 37%

Transitional months

Incidents 182 29% 149 28% 33 32%

Deaths 245 30% 211 30% 34 32%

Warm months

Incidents 141 22% 109 21% 32 31%

Deaths 175 22% 143 20% 32 30%

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

Incidents involving deaths are further summarized in Table 8 by the location where the death 

occurred. The majority of non-fire, CO poisoning deaths (687 of 808, or 85%) reported to CPSC 

staff associated with engine-driven tools occurred at home locations. Seventy-four percent of the 

deaths occurred at fixed-structure used as a residence, which include houses, mobile homes, 

apartments, townhouses, and structures attached to the house, such as an attached garage. Another 8

percent occurred in external or detached structures at home locations, such as detached garages or 
Page 16

sheds. A large portion of these external structure fatalities were related to OEDTs, such as 

lawnmowers running in sheds or detached garages. Thirty-five percent (23 of 65) of fatalities 

occurring in external structures at the home involved OEDTs. In fact, 23 percent of all deaths 

involving OEDTs occurred in external structures at the home, compared to only six percent of all 

generator deaths.

And another three percent occurred in nontraditional homes, such as travel trailers, houseboats, or 

storage sheds used as permanent residences. The “Temporary shelter” category includes incidents 

in which victims died from CO poisoning from portable generators or other engine-driven tools,

while the victims were temporarily occupying trailers, horse trailers, recreational vehicles (RVs), 

cabins (used as a temporary shelter), tents, and campers. Incidents that occurred in a temporary 

shelter, where the generator was an integral part of the temporary shelter, such as built-in generators 

or generators built specifically for use in an RV, are not within the purview of the CPSC; and thus, 

they are out of scope for this report and were excluded from the analyses. The “Boat/Vehicle” 

category only includes incidents in which a generator or other engine-driven tool was not an integral 

part of the boat─but was brought onto the boat─and incidents where an EDT was brought into a 

vehicle, such as a van. As with temporary shelters, incidents involving generators that were built-in 

or specifically designed for a boat are not within the purview of CPSC and are not included in this 

report. The “Other” category includes incidents that occurred in the following locations: office 

buildings, utility buildings, and storage sheds (offsite from home).
Page 17

Table 8: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Incidents and Fatalities 

Associated with Engine-Driven Tools by Location, 2004–2013

Location All Engine-Driven 

Tools (EDTs) Generators Other Engine-Driven Tools (OEDTs)

Total

Incidents 629 100% 526 100% 103 100%

Deaths 808 100% 703 100% 105 100%

Home, fixed

Structure1

Incidents 467 74% 395 75% 72 70%

Deaths 601 74% 528 75% 73 70%

Home, detached

Structure2

Incidents 63 10% 40 8% 23 22%

Deaths 65 8% 42 6% 23 22%

Home, non-house3 Incidents 18 3% 14 3% 4 4%

Deaths 21 3% 17 2% 4 4%

Temporary shelter

Incidents 46 7% 46 9% 0 0%

Deaths 72 9% 72 10% 0 0%

Boat/Vehicle

Incidents 19 3% 18 3% 1 1%

Deaths 25 3% 23 3% 2 2%

Other

Incidents 13 2% 11 2% 2 2%

Deaths 16 2% 14 2% 2 2%

Not reported

Incidents 3 < 1% 2 < 1% 1 1%

Deaths 8 1% 7 1% 1 1%

1 This refers to a fixed-structure used as a residence, including: houses, mobile homes, apartments, townhouses, and structures 

attached to the house, such as an attached garage.

2 This refers to detached structures at home locations, including detached garages and sheds.

3 This refers to non-fixed location residences, including travel trailers and houseboats.

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

Table 9 presents the number of non-fire, CO poisoning deaths reported to CPSC staff and associated 

with EDTs, categorized by the population density of the place of death. All fatal incidents were 

assigned to one of four rural/urban categories, based on the Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) 

codes developed by the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA). Recently, the four urban/rural categories were changed to delineate further the large 

urban category. Formerly, the four broad categories were: “Urban,” “Large Rural,” “Small Rural,”

and “Isolated.” In the newer categorization, the “Urban” category was divided into “Urban Core” 

and “Sub-Urban.” Additionally, the “Small Rural” and “Isolated” categories are now combined into 

the “Small Rural/Isolated” category. Details on the process of determining population density or 

rurality can be found at the USDA website at: http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/Rurality/. 

Additional information regarding the cross-referencing of zip codes to RUCA codes can be obtained 
Page 18

from the University of Washington, WWAMI4 Rural Health Research Center website 

at: http://depts.washington.edu/uwruca/.

Fifty-eight percent (471 of 808) of CO fatalities associated with the use of engine-driven tools

reported to CPSC staff occurred in urban areas, while the estimated proportion of the U.S. 

population living in urban core areas is 71 percent. Forty-two percent (337 of 808) of CO fatalities 

occurred in non-urban core areas (sub-urban, large rural, and small rural/isolated areas), where an 

estimated 29 percent of the U.S. population lives. There appears to be an unusually high proportion 

of fatalities in small rural/isolated areas. Sixteen percent (128 of 808) of the CO fatalities known to 

CPSC staff to be associated with EDTs occurred in small rural and isolated areas, where only an 

estimated nine percent of the U.S. population lives. The high proportion of fatalities in small 

rural/isolated areas can be explained partly by the fact that 20 percent (25 of 128) of these occurred 

in temporary or boat/vehicle locations and not at home locations.

Table 9: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with EngineDriven Tools by Population Density of Place of Death, 2004–2013

Population Density

Estimated 

Percentage 

of U.S. 

Population1

All Engine-Driven 

Tools (EDTs) Generators

Other EngineDriven Tools 

(OEDTs)

Total

Incident

100%

629 100% 526 100% 103 100%

Deaths 808 100% 703 100% 105 100%

Urban Core

Incident

71%

358 57% 304 58% 54 52%

Deaths 471 58% 416 59% 55 52%

Sub-Urban

Incident

10%

84 13% 69 13% 15 15%

Deaths 107 13% 92 13% 15 14%

Large Rural

Incident

10%

86 14% 66 13% 20 19%

Deaths 102 13% 81 12% 21 20%

Small Rural 

/Isolated

Incident

9%

101 16% 87 17% 14 14%

Deaths 128 16% 114 16% 14 13%

1 Percentages are determined from the estimated 2010 U.S. population categorized by RUCA designation. U.S. population 

estimates by RUCA classification were determined by cross-referencing the WWAMI RUCA zip code table with the 2010 U.S. 

Census population estimates by zip code area, the most current census data available by zip code area.

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

WWAMI Rural Research Center at the University of Washington Economic Research Group, USDA.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2011.

 4 The WWAMI name is derived from the first letter of each of the five cooperating states in a partnership between the University of 

Washington School of Medicine and the states Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho.
Page 19

III.Alarm Usage

Table 10 presents a summary of known CO fatalities characterized by CO alarm usage and alarm 

status. In 60 percent of the fatal incidents (379 of 629) and 57 percent of reported CO poisoning 

deaths (462 of 808), the presence of a CO alarm at the location of the incident was unknown or 

unreported. Of the 250 fatal incidents (346 CO fatalities) associated with engine-driven tools in 

which it was known whether a CO alarm was present or not, a CO alarm was present in only 19

incidents (8%) involving 29 CO fatalities. Of these 19 fatal incidents, the alarm was known to be 

inoperable in seven incidents (14 fatalities) due to missing, improperly installed, or possibly drained

batteries in a battery-powered alarm (non-plug-in type), or because the alarm was a plug-in type and 

power was out at the location of the incident. All seven fatal incidents (14 fatalities) with 

inoperable alarms were associated with generator usage. 

For the remaining 12 fatal incidents (15 fatalities) where an alarm was known to be present, the

alarm was known to have sounded in only six incidents (seven deaths):

• Two incidents (one death each) occurred in an attached garage of a home with the alarm 

sounding inside the house. It is unclear from the incident reports, but, presumably, the death 

occurred in the garage before CO levels increased inside the house sufficient to set off the 

CO alarm. 

• In one incident, the victim’s family reportedly did not understand that the alarm sounding 

pattern (sounding every few minutes) was indicating CO present in the home; they thought 

the alarm sounding simply meant that the alarm was working. 

• In one fatal incident the victims thought the “beeping” meant that the batteries were low so 

they replaced the batteries. The batteries were inserted incorrectly, thus disabling the alarm. 

One family member died and two survived.

• In one incident the alarm sounded, and the victim removed the batteries, thus disabling it. 

The victim was transported to the hospital but was pronounced dead.

• In another incident, two victims were found in a home where a CO alarm was sounding. It 

is unclear if the alarm triggered after the victims became incapacitated by CO poisoning or if 

the victims simply misunderstood or ignored the signal. 

There were also eight deaths from six incidents in which a CO alarm was present in the house, 

but it was unknown whether it sounded or if it was operable. 
Page 20

Table 10: Carbon Monoxide Alarm Usage Associated with Engine-Driven Tools Non-Fire 

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths, 2004–2013

CO Alarm Status

Number of Deaths and Percentage of Deaths when Alarm Status was Known

All Engine-Driven Tools 

(EDTs) Generators Other Engine-Driven Tools (OEDTs)

Incidents Deaths % of 

Deaths Incidents Deaths % of Deaths Incidents Deaths % of Deaths

Total 629 808 - 526 703 - 103 105 -

Alarm Status Known 250 346 100% 221 315 100% 29 31 100%

 No Alarm 231 317 92% 205 289 92% 26 28 90%

 Alarm Present 19 29 8% 16 26 8% 3 3 10%

 Alarmed 6 7 2% 4 5 2% 2 2 6%

 Did not alarm, 

 batteries removed,

 incorrectly

 inserted, or drained

4 9 3% 4 9 3% 0 0 0%

 Did not alarm,

 plug-in type, no

 power

3 5 1% 3 5 2% 0 0 0%

 Alarm present, 

 Unknown if it

 alarmed

6 8 2% 5 7 2% 1 1 3%

Alarm Status Unknown 379 462 - 305 388 - 74 74 -

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.
Page 21

IV. Hazard Patterns Associated with Generators

This section presents information about the usage patterns associated with fatal CO poisoning 

specific to generators, as well as information about the homes where fatal generator incidents 

occurred. As of May 1, 2014, CPSC staff is aware of 526 generator-related incidents from 2004

through 2013, which resulted in non-fire CO fatalities. Staff completed In-Depth Investigations 

(IDIs) for 499 of 526 (95%) fatal CO incidents associated with generators that occurred from 2004

through 2013. For the remaining 27 incidents in which an IDI was not performed or was not 

completed by the May 1, 2014 cut-off date, attempts were made to augment the data from reports of 

the incident in the Injury and Potential Injury Incidents (IPII) records or from death certificate 

information. Summaries of generator-related incidents in this section also include incidents where 

multiple fuel-burning consumer products were involved, including a generator. 

A review of records for the 526 incidents resulting in 703 generator-related, non-fire CO deaths 

reported to CPSC staff suggests two primary reasons reported for using a generator. One reason 

cited was to provide electricity to a location that did not have electricity due to a temporary situation 

(e.g., a power outage), and the other was to provide power after a shutoff to the residence by the 

utility company due to bill dispute or nonpayment. Table 11 provides a breakdown by year, listing 

the reasons why a generator was in use at the time of the incident. Twenty-eight percent of the 

incidents (29 percent of the reported deaths) involving generator-related, non-fire CO fatalities were 

associated with the use of generators during a temporary power outage stemming from a weather 

problem or a problem with power distribution. Twenty percent of the fatal incidents (20 percent of 

deaths) were associated with the use of generators after a power shutoff by the utility company for 

nonpayment of a bill or a bill dispute. For 19 percent of the fatal incidents (17 percent of deaths), it 

could not be determined why the generator was in use, or why there was no electricity at the 

location of the incident. 
Page 22

Table 11: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities for 

Incidents that Occurred at a Fixed-Structure Home Associated with Generators1

by Reason for Use, 2004–2013

Reason for Use Total 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Total

Incidents 526 35 80 63 58 70 45 36 69 38 32

Deaths 703 47 103 93 71 95 66 45 96 44 43

Power outage due to 

weather, or problem with 

power distribution

Incidents 147 7 37 11 15 19 10 5 19 15 9

Deaths 206 11 53 17 23 26 17 6 27 16 10

Electricity turned off by 

power company due to bill 

dispute or nonpayment

Incidents 107 6 11 17 13 13 6 12 17 5 7

Deaths 141 6 12 23 16 19 9 16 25 6 9

Provide power to storage 

shed, trailer, boat, camper, 

cabin, campsite

Incidents 63 3 8 13 8 5 8 2 8 5 3

Deaths 88 4 11 19 9 7 11 5 13 6 3

New home or homeowner, 

and power not yet turned on, 

home under construction or 

renovation

Incidents 56 10 4 6 5 7 5 5 5 3 6

Deaths 83 14 6 9 5 13 6 5 10 4 11

Provide power to home or 

mobile home that normally 

does not have electricity

Incidents 34 3 6 3 4 4 3 3 4 4 0

Deaths 45 4 6 5 5 5 7 3 4 6 0

Working on or preparing a 

home for predicted storm

Incidents 5 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0

Deaths 5 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0

Provide power to a shed or 

garage that normally does 

not have electricity

Incidents 6 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 1 0

Deaths 6 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 1 0

Other (previous fire in 

house, power shut off by 

owners, servicing power 

supply, or other usage)

Incidents 10 0 1 1 0 3 2 1 1 0 1

Deaths 12 0 1 1 0 3 2 1 2 0 2

Unknown why electricity off

Incidents 98 6 13 11 13 13 11 7 13 5 6

Deaths 117 8 14 18 13 16 14 8 13 5 8

1 Number of deaths associated with generators includes incidents where other consumer products may also have been involved. 

Other products include one or more of the following: lawn mowers, portable LP-fueled heaters, portable kerosene-fueled 

heaters, camp stoves, lanterns, outdoor cookers, furnaces, and wood stoves.

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.
Page 23

For the 147 fatal incidents associated with a power outage due to weather or a problem with power 

distribution, Table 12 provides a further breakdown by year and cause of the power outage. Ninetyfour percent of the fatal incidents associated with power outages were due to specific weather 

conditions. Ice or snow storms are associated with the largest percentage of weather-related CO 

fatal incidents accounting for nearly half (48%) of the power outage-related incidents. Hurricanes

and tropical storms are also associated with a large percentage of CO fatal incidents (29%) over the 

10-year period from 2004 to 2013. Nearly half (48%) of the hurricane- or tropical storm-related 

fatal incidents (20 of 42) occurred in 2005. 

Table 12: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities for Incidents 

that Occurred at a Fixed-Structure Home Associated with Generators1 by Reason for 

Power Outage, 2004–2013

Reason for Power 

Outage Total 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Total

Incidents 147 7 37 11 15 19 10 5 19 15 9

Deaths 206 11 53 17 23 26 17 6 27 16 10

Ice or snow storm

Incidents 71 1 15 6 9 7 9 3 10 5 6

Deaths 95 2 20 8 13 9 14 4 14 5 6

Hurricane or tropical 

storm

Incidents 42 5 20 1 0 6 0 0 3 7 0

Deaths 61 8 31 1 0 8 0 0 5 8 0

Wind storm

Incidents 6 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 1 1 0

Deaths 10 0 0 6 1 1 0 0 1 1 0

Thunderstorm or 

rainstorm

Incidents 9 0 1 2 1 1 0 2 2 0 0

Deaths 11 0 1 2 1 2 0 2 3 0 0

Tornado

Incidents 3 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0

Deaths 5 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 0

Storm, unspecified

Incidents 7 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 2 1

Deaths 9 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 1 2 1

Unknown or other 

reason for outage

Incidents 9 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 1 0 2

Deaths 15 1 1 0 4 2 3 0 1 0 3

1 Number of deaths associated with generators includes incidents where other consumer products may also have been involved. 

Other products include one or more of the following: lawn mowers, portable LP-fueled heaters, portable kerosene-fueled 

heaters, camp stoves, lanterns, outdoor cookers, furnaces, and wood stoves.

Note: Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.
Page 24

As shown in Table 8 above, 526 generator-related, non-fire CO fatalities occurred in a fixedstructure home. The category “fixed-structure home” is defined as a permanent, fixed-structure 

used as a residence, including: houses, mobile homes, apartments, townhouses, and structures 

attached to the house, such as an attached garage. Travel trailers, campers, and RVs are not 

included in this classification, nor are external structures at the home, such as detached garages or 

sheds. 

Of these 526 generator-related deaths that occurred in a fixed-structure home, information was 

available for 445 deaths (85%) regarding the victim’s location in relation to the generator. One 

hundred-two of these 445 fatalities (23%) occurred in the same room or space as the generator. 

The 526 deaths that occurred in a fixed-structure home were the result of 393 incidents (Table 13). 

These incidents were further classified by the specific location of the generator within the home. 

The category “Living Space (non-basement)” includes rooms reported as bedrooms, bathrooms, 

dens, living rooms, landings, home offices, rear rooms, enclosed porches, and converted garages. 

This category does not include attached garages or basements. The category “Outside the home” 

includes incidents where the generator was placed outside a home but near an open window, door, 

or vent of the home. Sixty-six percent (258 of 393) of the CO fatal incidents at home locations 

occurred when a generator was placed inside the home, including the living space (133), a basement 

(89), closet (4), doorway (2), or inside the house, with no further information provided (30). 

Another 27 percent of the fatal incidents (106 of 393) occurred when the generator was placed in an 

attached garage, enclosed carport, or attached barn. Nearly half (50%) of the fatal incidents (195 of 

393) occurred when the generator was placed in an attached structure (106) or in the basement or 

crawlspace (89). 

Fifteen deaths from 11 incidents were associated with the use of a generator placed outside the 

home.5 Usually, this involved placing the generator too near an open window or vent. This 

category also includes an incident where a generator was running outside the home but inside a 

building (e.g., outside an apartment but still inside the building).

 5 During the time period covered by this report, there were a total of 38 fatalities from 29 incidents known to have been 

caused by a generator being used either outdoors or outside the victims location but inside a building. For non-fixedstructure home locations, the most common scenario was when a generator was placed outside nearby a camper or RV 

and the CO infiltrated into the enclosed space where the victims were located.
Page 25

Table 13: Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths in the Fixed-Structure Home 

Location1 by Location of the Generator,

2 2004–2013

Generator Location Total 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Total

Incidents 393 28 55 40 44 52 35 29 54 31 25

Deaths 526 38 70 57 56 71 52 35 76 36 35

Living space (nonbasement)

Incidents 133 12 17 12 15 20 14 13 17 9 4

Deaths 180 18 23 17 19 27 20 13 24 13 6

Garage / enclosed 

carport / attached barn

Incidents 106 6 17 13 10 13 8 5 13 13 8

Deaths 136 8 18 20 15 15 11 6 18 13 12

Basement / crawlspace

Incidents 89 6 12 9 9 11 6 4 16 6 10

Deaths 127 7 15 11 12 20 11 7 25 6 13

Inside house, no further 

information reported

Incidents 30 1 2 4 6 5 3 1 4 2 2

Deaths 33 1 2 4 6 5 5 2 4 2 2

Closet in home

Incidents 4 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

Deaths 11 0 6 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0

Outside the home

Incidents 11 1 4 0 2 0 0 1 1 1 1

Deaths 15 2 4 0 2 0 0 1 2 2 2

Doorway to home

Incidents 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Deaths 3 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Unknown location, but 

at home

Incidents 18 1 2 0 1 3 3 5 3 0 0

Deaths 21 1 2 0 1 4 4 6 3 0 0

1 This refers to a fixed-structure used as a residence, including houses, mobile homes, apartments, townhouses, and structures 

attached to the house, such as an attached garage. Not included here are incidents that occurred in detached structures at home 

locations (e.g., detached garages, sheds) or at non-fixed location residences (e.g., travel trailers, houseboats).

2 Number of deaths associated with generators includes incidents where other consumer products may also have been involved. 

Other products include one or more of the following: lawn mowers, portable LP-fueled heaters, portable kerosene-fueled 

heaters, camp stoves, lanterns, outdoor cookers, furnaces, and wood stoves.

Notes: Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding.

 Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

Table 14 presents a summary of non-fire CO fatalities that occurred in the fixed-structure home 

characterized by ventilation status. Many of the incidents with generator-associated fatalities in the 

home (174 of the 393 incidents) did not contain information about the ventilation of the generator. 

In 145 of the 219 incidents (66%), accounting for 201 deaths, in which information on ventilation of 

the generator was available, there was no ventilation being provided when the incident occurred. In 
Page 26

five of these fatal incidents (seven deaths), a window or door was open during some period of use

but later closed. There were 74 incidents associated with generators in which it was reported that 

some type of ventilation was employed. Of these 74 incidents, 52 were associated with incidents in 

which it was reported that there was an open or partially open window, door, garage door, or a 

combination of these, accounting for 64 CO deaths. As noted here and in Table 13, ten incidents

(13 deaths) were associated with generators that were placed outside the home near open windows, 

doors, or vents, where carbon monoxide entered the home. In eleven incidents (22 deaths), 

consumers actively attempted to vent generator exhaust outside through a window or door, or 

through the use of a fan, but these measures failed to adequately vent the CO from the victims’ 

location. An additional fatality occurred when a victim placed a generator outside of an apartment 

in the unventilated hallway of a building. 

Table 14: Non-Fire CO Fatalities in the Fixed-Structure Home1 Reported to CPSC Staff and 

Associated with Generators2 Categorized by Status of Ventilation, 2004–2013

Ventilation Status Number of 

Incidents

Number of 

Deaths

Percentage 

of Deaths

Percentage of 

Deaths Where 

Ventilation is 

Known

Non-fire CO fatalities in the home 393 526 100% 100%

Some ventilation attempted 74 100 19% 33%

Open window(s), open door(s), an open garage 

door, or a combination of these 52 64 12% 21%

Actively trying to vent either by fans or by 

directing exhaust out a window or door 11 22 4% 7%

Placed outside, but near a window, door or A/C 

unit3 10 13 2% 4%

Placed outside apartment, but inside building 1 1 < 1% < 1%

No ventilation 145 201 38% 67%

Open windows or doors closed sometime later 5 7 1% 2%

No ventilation attempted4 140 194 37% 64%

Unknown ventilation 174 225 43% -

1 This refers to a fixed-location structure used as a residence, including houses, mobile homes, apartments, and townhouses, as 

well as structures attached to the house, such as an attached garage. Not included here are incidents that occurred in detached 

structures at home locations (e.g., detached garages and sheds) or at non-fixed location residences (e.g., travel trailers and 

houseboats).

2 Number of deaths associated with generators includes incidents where other consumer products may also have been involved. 

Other products include one or more of the following: lawn mowers, portable LP fueled heaters, portable kerosene fueled 

heaters, camp stoves, lanterns, outdoor cookers, furnaces, and wood stoves.

3 One incident involved alternately moving the generator outside then inside after the generator would shut off, presumably 

because of weather conditions. After a warm-up period, the generator was again placed outside until it failed again. 

4 One death occurred when a generator was placed outside an apartment in an unvented hallway and one occurred when the 

generator was placed outside a trailer that was located inside an enclosed, unvented garage.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

Note: Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.
Page 27

Table 15 presents a summary of the fatal CO incidents and fatalities characterized by the size of the 

home in which the fatalities occurred. For 40 percent (159 of 393) of the fatal incidents (205 of 526

deaths), CPSC staff could not ascertain the size of the home. Home size information was available 

for 234 of 393 fatal incidents (321 of the 526 deaths). Information regarding the size of the home 

reported in this document is from one of two sources. The first source is the CPSC In-Depth 

Investigations (IDIs), which include information gathered from police, fire department, or public 

records. The second source is from Internet databases of real estate information, which contain 

public record data, such as Cyberhomes.com and Zillow.com. In most cases, Internet databases 

agree on the size of the home because both databases are based on public records from the county, 

state, or municipality. Occasionally, the records in the databases do not agree. In that situation, the 

average of the two or more sizes was used because it could not be determined which database had 

the more accurate figure.

Fifty-nine percent (137 of 234) of the reported fatal incidents (189 of 321 CO fatalities) associated 

with generators that occurred in the home, where the size of the structure was known, occurred in 

homes that were less than 1,500 square feet, and 85 percent (198 of 234) of the reported incidents 

(272 of 321 deaths) occurred in houses that were less than 2,000 square feet. This portion of the 

fatal incident location includes most incidents that occurred in apartments and mobile homes. Fatal 

incidents that occurred in a detached structure are not included in this figure. The median home 

size involved in fatal generator-related CO poisoning deaths, where home size information is 

known, was 1,328 square feet. As a point of reference, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 

American Housing Survey for the United States: 2009, the median housing unit as of 2009 was 

1,736 square feet. Comparing the percentages of fatal incidents by home size to the U.S. Census 

figures, it appears that the fatal CO incidents are skewed toward smaller homes. Whether this is due 

to economic reasons or because smaller-volume structures are filled more quickly by deadly carbon 

monoxide, is unclear. Perhaps it is a combination of the two factors, or some yet unidentified 

reason.
Page 28

Table 15: Non-Fire CO Fatalities in the Fixed-Structure Home1 Reported to CPSC Staff and 

Associated with Generators2 Categorized by Size of Home, 2004–2013

Home Size

(in sq. feet)2

Number of 

Incidents Number of Deaths Percentage of Incidents

Percentage of 

Incidents Where 

Home Size is 

Known

Estimated 

Percentage of U.S. 

Housing Units 

(2009)4

Total 393 526 100% 100% 100%

Under 500 1 1 < 1% < 1% 1%

500–999 54 70 14% 23% 10%

1,000–1,499 82 118 21% 35% 25%

1,500–1,999 61 83 16% 26% 24%

2,000–2,499 21 32 5% 9% 17%

2,500–2,999 8 9 2% 3% 9%

3,000 or Larger 7 8 2% 3% 14%

Unknown 159 205 40% - -

1 This refers to a fixed-location structure used as a residence, including houses, mobile homes, apartments, and townhouses and 

structures attached to the house, such as an attached garage. Not included here are incidents that occurred in detached structures 

at home locations (e.g., detached garages and sheds) or at non-fixed location residences (e.g., travel trailers and houseboats).

2 Number of deaths associated with generators includes incidents where other consumer products may also have been involved. 

Other products include one or more of the following: lawn mowers, portable LP-fueled heaters, portable kerosene-fueled 

heaters, camp stoves, lanterns, outdoor cookers, furnaces, and wood stoves.

3 Home size based on CPSC IDIs or from the Internet real estate databases, Cyberhomes.com and Zillow.com.

4 The 2009 housing unit figures are the most current figures available.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey for the United States: 2009.

Note: Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

The size of the generator and the fuel used with the generator were both examined. The size of the 

generator was examined by the wattage rating (Table 16). Note that this table presents a summary 

of all incidents known to CPSC at all locations, not just fixed-structure home locations. In most 

cases, the advertised running wattage rating was used to categorize the generator. In some 

instances, however, a wattage rating was used in which it could not be determined whether it was 

the rated running wattage or maximum/surge wattage. When the wattage rating of the generator 

was known or could be determined (347 investigated deaths from 240 incidents), 63 percent of the 

incidents (150 incidents, 216 deaths) were associated with a generator in the 3500 to 6499 watt 

rating range. Forty-four percent of the incidents (105 incidents, 151 deaths) involving CO fatalities, 

where the generator size was known, were associated with generators in the 5000 to 6499 watt 

range. 

Almost all of the generators that were involved in the CO poisoning incidents identified in this 

report were referred to as gas- or gasoline-fueled generators. Three incidents (five deaths) identify

a propane-fueled generator as the source of the CO. In all three of these incidents, the generator 

was identified as non-portable, backup generator.
Page 29

Table 16: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with 

Generators1 Categorized by Generator Wattage Rating, 2004–2013

Wattage Rating 

(in Watts) Total 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Total

Incidents 526 35 80 63 58 70 45 36 69 38 32

Deaths 703 47 103 93 71 95 66 45 96 44 43

Under 2000

Incidents 20 2 4 1 2 2 1 2 1 4 1

Deaths 24 2 4 1 5 2 1 2 1 5 1

2000–3499

Incidents 52 2 6 11 6 5 3 3 7 3 6

Deaths 81 2 8 19 7 8 6 3 12 5 11

3500–4999

Incidents 45 2 11 6 5 9 2 3 6 1 0

Deaths 65 2 14 11 8 11 2 5 11 1 0

5000–6499

Incidents 105 12 12 15 11 14 8 11 11 3 8

Deaths 151 19 20 20 13 20 15 13 17 4 10

6500–7999

Incidents 12 0 1 0 1 3 1 1 3 1 1

Deaths 16 0 1 0 2 4 1 1 5 1 1

8000 and 

larger

Incidents 6 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1

Deaths 10 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 5 0 1

Not reported

Incidents 286 16 46 29 33 36 29 16 40 26 15

Deaths 356 21 56 41 36 49 40 21 45 28 19

1 Number of deaths associated with generators includes incidents where other consumer products may also have been involved. 

Other products include one or more of the following: lawn mowers, portable LP-fueled heaters, portable kerosene-fueled 

heaters, camp stoves, lanterns, outdoor cookers, furnaces, and wood stoves.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

Note: Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Table 17 presents a summary of all incidents at fixed-structure home locations categorized by 

generator size (Watts) and home size (square feet). There does not appear to be any correlation 

between home size and the size of the generator used. The most commonly involved generator size 

(5000 to 6499 Watts) is the most commonly used in all but the largest home category. It should be 

noted that the numbers of incidents where the size of the generator is known at the smallest house 

category (0 to 499 sq. ft., [one incident]) and the two largest categories (2500 to 2999 sq. ft. [2 

incidents] and 3000 sq. ft. or larger [3 incidents]) are probably too small to make meaningful 

conclusions.
Page 30

Table 17: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities for Incidents that 

Occurred at a Fixed-Structure Home Associated with Generators1 Categorized by Generator 

Wattage Rating and Home Size, 2004–2013

Home Size (in square feet)

Wattage Rating 

(in Watts) Total 0 - 499 500 - 999 1000 -1499

1500 -

1999

2000 -

2499

2500 -

2999

3000 or 

larger Unknown

Total

Incidents 393 1 54 82 61 21 8 7 159

Deaths 526 1 70 118 83 32 9 8 205

Under 2000

Incidents 18 0 2 8 3 0 0 0 5

Deaths 22 0 2 10 4 0 0 0 6

2000–3499

Incidents 37 0 5 9 8 2 0 1 12

Deaths 62 0 8 16 17 6 0 1 14

3500–4999

Incidents 35 0 5 7 6 3 0 2 12

Deaths 49 0 7 12 8 3 0 2 17

5000–6499

Incidents 83 1 9 20 17 4 2 0 30

Deaths 122 1 14 31 22 7 2 0 45

6500–7999

Incidents 10 0 1 2 3 0 0 0 4

Deaths 13 0 1 3 3 0 0 0 6

8000 and 

larger

Incidents 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

Deaths 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

Not reported

Incidents 207 0 31 35 24 12 6 4 95

Deaths 255 0 37 45 29 16 7 5 116

1 Number of deaths associated with generators includes incidents where other consumer products may also have been 

involved. Other products include one or more of the following: lawn mowers, portable LP-fueled heaters, portable 

kerosene-fueled heaters, camp stoves, lanterns, outdoor cookers, furnaces, and wood stoves.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

Note: Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.
Page 31

Conclusion

Between 2004 and 2013, 808 non-fire CO poisoning deaths from 629 incidents were reported to 

CPSC staff that was associated with engine-driven tools. The majority of these deaths (703) 

involved generators or both a generator and another consumer product. Other engine-driven tools, 

including garden tractors, lawn mowers, power washers or sprayers, and others, were associated 

with a much smaller number of deaths. The majority of fatal incidents reported to CPSC staff 

involved a single fatality. Most reported deaths occurred while an individual was at home. 

Victims age 25 years and older accounted for about 84 percent of the non-fire CO poisoning deaths 

that were associated with generators reported to CPSC staff, and the majority (75 percent) of the 

victims were male. Seventy-five percent of the reported deaths associated with generators occurred 

at fixed-structure home locations. Sixty-six percent of the fatal incidents known to have occurred in 

the home and involving generators occurred when a generator was placed in the living area or 

basement of the home. Another 27 percent occurred when a generator was used inside an attached 

garage or shed. 

Generators were often used as alternative sources of electricity due to temporary power outages or 

as power sources for temporary shelters. Power outages, most commonly weather-related, were the 

single most common reason for generator usage that resulted in a non-fire CO fatality, accounting 

for at least 206 of the 703 fatalities (29 percent). Generators were often used with little or no 

ventilation. In only about eight percent of the fatalities was it known that there was a CO alarm 

installed—and most of these were inoperable at the time of the fatal incident. Conclusions about 

why consumers used generators indoors or determinations about whether users were aware of the 

potential non-fire CO-poisoning hazard were not possible to make with the available information.

Victims age 25 years and older accounted for 99 percent of the non-fire CO poisoning deaths 

reported to CPSC staff that were associated with other engine-driven tools. Males accounted for 97 

percent of the deaths associated with other engine-driven tools. Deaths associated with garden 

tractors and lawn mowers were often associated with an individual repairing or working on the 

product in an enclosed space. 

Visit the CPSC’s Carbon Monoxide Information Center— http://www.cpsc.gov/en/SafetyEducation/Safety-Education-Centers/Carbon-Monoxide-Information-Center/—for the latest 

information on recalls, safety tips, safety standards, CO alarms, and downloadable injury prevention 

materials.
Page 32

References

Hnatov, Matthew V. Incidents, Deaths, and In-Depth Investigations Associated with Non-Fire 

Carbon Monoxide from Engine-Driven Generators and Other Engine-Driven Tools, 1999-2012. 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. August

2013. https://www.cpsc.gov//Global/Research-and-Statistics/Injury-Statistics/Carbon-MonoxidePosioning/GeneratorsAndOEDTFatalities2013FINAL.pdf

Hnatov, Matthew V. Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Deaths Associated with the Use of Consumer 

Products: 2010 Annual Estimates. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. September 2013.

https://www.cpsc.gov//Global/Research-and-Statistics/Injury-Statistics/Carbon-MonoxidePosioning/2010NonFireCODeathsFINAL.pdf

U.S. Census Bureau. American FactFinder. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 -

State─ 5-digit ZIP Code Tabulation Area: 2010 Census Summary File 1 

<http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_SF1_

GCTPH1.ST09&prodType=table> 

U.S. Census Bureau. American Housing Survey for the United States: 2009. 

<http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/h150-09.pdf>

U. S. Census Bureau. The 2012 Statistical Abstract - The National Data Book.

<http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/population.html>

U.S. Department of Agriculture. Briefing Rooms: Measuring Rurality. 7 Nov. 2008 

<http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/Rurality/>

University of Washington, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center. Guidelines for Using RuralUrban Classification Systems for Public Health Assessment 15 Feb. 2011
Page 33

Appendix A: Epidemiology Data Retrieval Specifics

The queries below were submitted through EPIR (EPIdemiology Retrieval), CPSC staff’s 

epidemiology data access application. Query results were reviewed to include only carbon 

monoxide poisoning incidents and to exclude duplicates and out-of-scope cases, which were cases 

that did not involve an incident that was associated with a non-fire carbon monoxide exposure and 

an engine-driven tool. Records from the three databases that were used in this report (the In-Depth 

Investigation database (INDP), the Injury or Potential Injury Incident database (IPII), and the Death 

Certificate database (DTHS)) were then manually matched up to provide the most complete record 

and to eliminate additional duplicates.

For this report, a fatal incident was deemed in scope if none of the following criteria were violated:

• Carbon monoxide was the primary or contributing factor in the fatality.

• The carbon monoxide was not fire-related.

• The source of the CO was an engine-driven tool, or an engine-driven tool used in 

conjunction with another non-fire-related CO generating source.

• The fatal injury was unintentional in nature.

• The engine-driven tool involved was a consumer product.

• The incident was not work-related.

Date of Queries: 05/01/2013

Incident Dates: 1/1/04-12/31/13

Product Codes: 113, 606, 800-899, 1062, 1400-1464, 3285-3287

Diagnosis Codes: 65 (Anoxia), 68 (Poisoning) – (INDP only)

ICD10 Code: X47x, Y17x – (DTHS only)

Narrative/Text Contains: “CARB” or “MONO”
Page 34

Appendix B: Carboxyhemoglobin Levels Present in CO Fatalities

Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) is a complex of carbon monoxide and hemoglobin that forms in red 

blood cells when carbon monoxide is inhaled. COHb poisoning can be fatal in large doses as it 

hinders delivery of oxygen to the body. Carboxyhemoglobin data are helpful in estimating the 

concentration of CO in the product exhaust and the lethality of the product, which affects the speed 

of onset of harm. This information may be used by CPSC staff to assist in determining the best way

to address the CO hazard presented by generators and other engine-driven tools.

In healthy adults, a COHb level of 40–50 percent in the blood approximately correlates with 

symptoms of confusion, unconsciousness, coma, and possible death; a level of 50–70 percent 

approximately correlates with symptoms of coma, brain damage, seizure, and death; and a level 

greater than 70 percent is typically fatal.6 COHb levels were available for 451 of the 808 fatalities 

(56% of the CO fatalities). Table B-1 shows the frequency of reports by COHb level categories. 

Percentages in the table are the category proportions of reported COHb levels. Seventy-nine 

percent (357 of the 451) of fatalities had reported COHb levels of 50 percent or greater.

Table B-1: Carboxyhemoglobin Levels Associated with Engine-Driven Tools Non-Fire 

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths, 2004–20131

COHb Level All Engine-Driven 

Tools (EDTs) Generators Other Engine-Driven Tools (OEDTs)

Total 808 - 703 - 105 -

Reported Levels 451 100% 394 100% 57 100%

Less than 30% 24 5% 22 6% 2 4%

30–39.9% 28 6% 24 6% 4 7%

40–49.9% 42 9% 34 9% 8 14%

50–59.9% 96 21% 89 23% 7 12%

60–69.9% 121 27% 107 27% 14 25%

70–79.9% 107 24% 90 23% 17 30%

80–89.9% 28 6% 23 6% 5 9%

90–99.9% 5 1% 5 1% 0 0%

Not reported 357 - 309 - 48 -

1 Percentages shown are the percentage of reported COHb levels per category.

Italicized numbers indicate that reporting of incidents is ongoing. Counts may change in subsequent reports.

Source: U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Directorate for Epidemiology, 2014.

 6 Inkster S.E. Health hazard assessment of CO poisoning associated with emissions from a portable, 5.5 Kilowatt, gasoline-powered 

generator. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. 2004.
Page 35

Appendix C: Historical Data

Figure 1 illustrates the trend in the number of non-fire CO fatalities associated with the use of 

generators and other engine-driven tools from 1999 to 2013. The number of generator-related 

fatalities increased at a steady rate from six in 1999 to 103 in 2005. After which, the number of 

yearly fatalities has oscillated between 40 and 100 fatalities per year. It should be noted that, due to 

reporting delays, fatality counts reported in future annual reports for the most recent years are likely 

to increase. Over the last six reports, including this one, the most recent year’s counts have 

increased by about an average of 27 percent from the previous report. Two years back, the average 

increase, report to report, is about another 8 percent.

The number of CO fatalities associated with the use of non-generators engine-driven tools has been 

relatively steady over the period 1999 through 2013. 

Figure 1: Number of Reported Non-Fire Carbon Monoxide Fatalities Associated with 

Engine-Driven Tools, 1999–2013

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Number of Reported CO Fatalities

Year

Generators Generators (reporting incomplete)

OEDT OEDT (reporting incomplete)