is your business prepared for a power outage

Is Your Business Prepared For A Power Outage?

As experts in power distros, we’re no stranger to the occasional shortage. Even the most sophisticated systems can trip occasionally, so if you’re a business owner it can be handy to know the plan of action for when it does. This week at Rubber Box, we’re taking a moment to give you a few words of advice on that very thing.

Before A Power Outage: Knowledge To Have

Just before we get into it, we’re just going to take a moment to say: we’re talking in broad strokes here. You don’t necessarily need detailed technical knowledge of electrical systems to get through an outage, but this article’s advice might help you provide some pointers for someone who does.

So with that in mind, here are the main things you need to know before a power outage:

  1. What needs to be turned off if an outage happens
  2. A solid plan of evacuation if the outage renders the building unsafe (for example in total darkness during winter)
  3. Can you reset the power yourself if an outage does occur?
  4. Do you know the procedures for how to do so safely?
  5. If not, who’ll be doing the job instead?

It’s a good idea to have a list of emergency numbers of individuals or organisations you might need to call. For example, it could be the building’s owners or the electricity supplier’s. The great thing about the modern digital age is that you can still call these from a mobile even if your landlines are down.

It’s also useful to know where your electricity meter and service entrance is, even if you’re not terribly familiar with your building’s power distribution system. If a professional does arrive to deal with the problem, you can then literally point them in the right direction. Having torches and other portable lighting is a good precaution, too.

How To Act During A Power Outage

If the worst does happen, here’s what to do in a power outage:

  1. Turn off everything that needs to be turned off
  2. If necessary (such as in the case of completely dark buildings), evacuate everyone calmly from the building via the pre-arranged route, using torches and other emergency lighting
  3. Don’t let anyone go off on their own to collect personal belongings

It’s always handy to be able to consult a list of equipment to be turned off during an outage, then reset when the power is restored. This includes things like laptops and computers, as they can sometimes prone to damage when the power gets restored. To be on the safe side, it’s always worth unplugging these systems when an outage occurs, then turning them back on sequentially. Not doing this can potentially damage them, sometimes beyond repair. It might be an unnecessary precaution, but you’ll never regret not taking it!

Meanwhile, depending on your industry, it’s definitely a good idea to have a firm company policy about what to do in the event of a power outage. You may assume it’s common sense, but even the most sensible of people sometimes have different definitions of that term. To avoid people taking to darkened stairwells or frying brand-new company laptops, have a plan already firmly set out about how to behave in the event of a power cut. It’s another one that will be well worth the extra effort, especially for larger companies.

At Rubber Box, all of our systems have firm failsafes in place to guard against the prospect of power outages. While we can’t guarantee they’ll never occur, we can say that safety is our number one priority, and there are several systems we install to protect our customers from the dangers of strong currents. If you’re interested in finding out more, you can click here to read about some of the systems that keep you safe. If you have any questions or need any advice, you can always call us on 01282 677910.

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