Fatal Outages
Poisoned When the Power Goes Out
Carbon monoxide deaths predictably follow every major weather-related power outage. Experts say these fatalities are preventable. ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News investigate.
Feds Advance Portable Generator Safety Rule to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Saying that manufacturers failed to make generators safer, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is moving forward with proposed regulations to bolster protections. The proposal comes after reporting by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News.
A Shut-Off Switch Was Supposed to Prevent 99% of Generator-Related Deaths. It Failed a Family of Three.
The generator industry has touted automatic shut-off switches as a lifesaving fix for carbon monoxide poisoning. But the voluntary standard falls short of what federal regulators say is necessary to eliminate deaths.
Congress Investigates Portable Generator Manufacturers Following Carbon Monoxide Deaths
Many generators available for sale have not received potentially lifesaving safety upgrades. Citing a ProPublica, Texas Tribune and NBC News investigation, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform wants to know why.
Carbon Monoxide Killed a Mother and Daughter. A Firefighter Was Reprimanded After the Response.
After half of a family was found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning, reporting by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News revealed that a fire crew had failed to enter the house to check on them. A firefighter has now been disciplined.
U.S. Plans New Safety Rules to Crack Down on Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from Portable Generators
The announcement comes two months after an investigation by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune and NBC News detailed the deadly cost of the government’s failure to regulate portable generators.
