BATON ROUGE - With the increased use of generators to power homes, there have been 141 ER visits for carbon monoxide poisoning in the past week.

The Louisiana Department of Health said Monday, along with the hospitalizations, four people have died.

The LDH urges residents to use generator safety protocols set by the Office of State Fire Marshall:

-Place generators at least 20 feet away from your home.
-Look for any air entry points into the home near your unit and ensure that those are properly closed and sealed off, such as windows or doors, air intakes, nearby dryer vents or crawl spaces.
-Have a CO alarm.
-Give these generators breaks that allow for any concentrated exhaust to clear away from the area.
-Open your windows and doors during this break to air out any concentration that may have collected in your home.