How to safely use a portable electric generator

If your facility does not have a permanent standby generator to use for temporary power outages, or if you are conducting mobile clinic activities in areas without electrical power, you may need a portable generator to power your electrical devices. A generator that isn’t powerful enough may overheat and catch fire; it can also damage equipment. To calculate the generator capacity you need, add the wattage of all the equipment you want to use at the same time (you can find this on the equipment’s label or in its manual). The stated ‘running rating’ or ‘continuous rating’ of the generator must be at least 1.3 times higher than this figure. This will ensure that you are running the generator at no more than 75% of its capacity, which is efficient and will prolong the generator’s life. Use a separate voltage regulator and a surge suppressor in order to guarantee stable and ‘clean’ voltage to your delicate eye care equipment. The capacity of the voltage regulator and surge suppressor should be calculated in the same manner as described for the generator.