II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1510 

To require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate consumer 

product safety rules concerning the safety and labeling of portable generators. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 24, 2007 

Mr. NELSON of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to 

promulgate consumer product safety rules concerning the 

safety and labeling of portable generators. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Portable Generator 

5 Safety Act of 2007’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Portable generators are frequently used to 

9 provide electricity during temporary power outages. 


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1 These generators use fuel-burning engines that emit 

2 carbon monoxide gas in their exhaust. 

3 (2) In the last several years, hundreds of people 

4 nationwide have been seriously injured or killed due 

5 to exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning from port6 able generators. From 2000 through 2006, at least 

7 260 carbon monoxide poisoning deaths related to 

8 portable generator use were reported to the Con9 sumer Product Safety Commission. In the last three 

10 months of 2006 alone, 32 carbon monoxide deaths 

11 were linked to generator use. 

12 (3) Virtually all of the serious injuries and 

13 deaths due to carbon monoxide from portable gen14 erators were preventable. In many instances, con15 sumers simply were unaware of the hazards posed by 

16 carbon monoxide. 

17 (4) Since at least 1997, a priority of the Con18 sumer Product Safety Commission has been to re19 duce injuries and deaths resulting from carbon mon20 oxide poisoning. 

21 (5) On January 4, 2007, the Consumer Product 

22 Safety Commission adopted certain labeling stand23 ards for portable generators (section 1407 of title 

24 16, Code of Federal Regulations), but such standVerDate Aug 31 2005 20:35 May 27, 2007 Jkt 059196 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1510.IS S1510

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1 ards do not go far enough to reduce substantially 

2 the potential harm to consumers. 

3 (6) The issuance of mandatory safety standards 

4 and labeling requirements to warn consumers of the 

5 dangers associated with portable generator carbon 

6 monoxide would reduce the risk of injury or death. 

7 SEC. 3. SAFETY STANDARD: REQUIRING EQUIPMENT OF 

8 PORTABLE GENERATORS WITH CARBON 

9 MONOXIDE INTERLOCK SAFETY DEVICES. 

10 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact11 ment of this Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commis12 sion shall promulgate consumer product safety rules, pur13 suant to section 7 of the Consumer Product Safety Act 

14 (15 U.S.C. 2056), requiring, at a minimum, that every 

15 portable generator sold to the public for purposes other 

16 than resale shall be equipped with an interlock safety de17 vice that— 

18 (1) detects the level of carbon monoxide in the 

19 areas surrounding such portable generator; and 

20 (2) automatically turns off the portable gener21 ator before the level of carbon monoxide reaches a 

22 level that would cause serious bodily injury or death 

23 to people. 


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1 SEC. 4. LABELING AND INSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS. 

2 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact3 ment of this Act, the Consumer Product Safety Commis4 sion shall promulgate consumer product safety rules, pur5 suant to section 7 of the Consumer Product Safety Act 

6 (15 U.S.C. 2056), requiring, at a minimum, the following: 

7 (1) WARNING LABELS.—Each portable gener8 ator sold to the public for purposes other than resale 

9 shall have a large, prominently displayed warning 

10 label in both English and Spanish on the exterior 

11 packaging, if any, of the portable generator and per12 manently affixed on the portable generator regarding 

13 the carbon monoxide hazard posed by incorrect use 

14 of the portable generator. The warning label shall 

15 include the word ‘‘DANGER’’ printed in a large font 

16 that is no smaller than 1 inch tall, and shall include 

17 the following information, at a minimum, presented 

18 in a clear manner: 

19 (A) Indoor use of a portable generator can 

20 kill quickly. 

21 (B) Portable generators should be used 

22 outdoors only and away from garages and open 

23 windows. 

24 (C) Portable generators produce carbon 

25 monoxide, a poisonous gas that people cannot 

26 see or smell. 


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1 (2) PICTOGRAM.—Each portable generator sold 

2 to the public for purposes other than resale shall 

3 have a large pictogram, affixed to the portable gen4 erator, which clearly states ‘‘POISONOUS GAS’’ 

5 and visually depicts the harmful effects of breathing 

6 carbon monoxide. 

7 (3) INSTRUCTION MANUAL.—The instruction 

8 manual, if any, that accompanies any portable gen9 erator sold to the public for purposes other than re10 sale shall include detailed, clear, and conspicuous 

11 statements that include the following elements: 

12 (A) A warning that portable generators 

13 emit carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that can 

14 kill people. 

15 (B) A warning that people cannot smell, 

16 see, or taste carbon monoxide. 

17 (C) An instruction to operate portable gen18 erators only outdoors and away from windows, 

19 garages, and air intakes. 

20 (D) An instruction never to operate port21 able generators inside homes, garages, sheds, or 

22 other semi-enclosed spaces, even if a person 

23 runs a fan or opens doors and windows. 

24 (E) A warning that if a person begins to 

25 feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a portable 


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1 generator, that person should shut off the port2 able generator, get to fresh air immediately, 

3 and consult a doctor. 

4 SEC. 5. PUBLIC OUTREACH. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

6 date of the enactment of this Act, the Consumer Product 

7 Safety Commission shall establish a program of public 

8 outreach to inform consumers of the dangers associated 

9 with the emission of carbon monoxide from portable gen10 erators. 

11 (b) TIME.—The program required by subsection (a) 

12 shall place emphasis on informing consumers of the dan13 gers described in such subsection during the start of each 

14 hurricane season. 

Æ 


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