Power Outage Tips for Small Business Owners
A power outage can disrupt production and force you to close your doors until the power is restored. As a small business owner, there are vital steps you should take to protect your business during the outage, and after the power returns. At Gen-Tech Power Generation Specialists, it’s our pleasure to offer you the following tried and tested recommendations.
1. Develop an Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
Every business should have an EAP that includes a section on when a power outage occurs. This should identify what equipment/systems should be shut down and who is responsible for undertaking this action. Make sure to fully educate your employees on power outage procedures so that they fully understand them if they need to use them.
2. Test Your Backup Power Generation Systems & Security Systems
You should perform weekly, monthly, and semi-annual inspections of your standby generator systems. Make sure to adhere to the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule. Similarly, make sure to test all intrusion alarms, smoke alarms, lighting, and fire suppression systems. Be sure to include these within your EAP and confirm that your standby generator system will deliver sufficient power to operate these systems if a power outage strikes.
3. Buy Surge Protectors
When a power outage occurs, it can cause significant damage to sensitive computers and machinery. Purchasing surge protectors helps protect you against power fluctuations that can cause permanent and irreversible damage to these systems.
4. Have a Plan To Get Back Online
The first part of your EAP should cover how to shut everything down to protect it from harm. However, that’s only part of the equation; you must also have a plan to bring everything back online when the power is restored. Make sure to create a comprehensive list that identifies the timeline and the order systems should be brought back online.
5. Shut Down the Standby Generator
Most small businesses have an ATS attached to their standby generator. This allows for the automatic transfer of power from the generator back to the power grid. This will automatically shut the generator down. However, whether you have an ATS or not, you will want to confirm that the power generator has shut down correctly. Since each system requires different shutdown procedures, make sure that you designate several staff members who are familiar with these and know how to follow each step of the required process.
6. Assess and Adjust Your EAP
Every power outage will teach you something new about your business. It will show you what works and teach you what doesn’t. Following every power outage, you should assess what worked and make adjustments to better prepare for the next power disruption.
Contact Gen-Tech Power Generation Specialists at (800) 625-8324 for more information about the steps we take to prepare our clients for a power outage. We’re happy to answer your questions and help you develop a customized plan for your small business.