A power outage is one of the worst nightmares for commercial facilities. When the lights go out, you have very few choices other than to close the facility until power is restored. In the case of a citywide outage or natural disaster, this could take days or weeks. If you supply essential goods to the community, this is often not an option.
Even smaller power outages can cost your business thousands of dollars in lost sales. If you find yourself in this situation, here’s what you need to do:
Make sure employees are safe and accounted for.
Most power surges or outlets are caused by natural disasters or an electrical accident, which means your employees may be in danger. Before you act, be sure that everyone at your facility is safe and accounted for. In the event of a storm, move everyone to a safe location inside that is away from windows or doors.
Call your utility company and report the power outage.
If your power outage is limited to a specific region, you need to contact your utility company to ensure they can fix the problem right away. Other businesses will do the same, which ensures the power is restored as soon as possible.
If you don’t have a UPS, turn on your backup generator for essential services.
Some buildings, such as medical and nursing home facilities, rely on uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) systems to ensure life-saving services are available at all times. If you don’t have a UPS system, turn on the backup generator for essential service and to ensure safety and communications until the power is back on.
Turn off and disconnect your small business’s equipment to prevent damage.
Sudden power outages can damage electronic equipment. If you want to prevent more damage when the power comes back up, unplug essential systems to ensure safety for all electrical parts.
Keep doors closed on refrigeration equipment until power is restored.
Commercial kitchens and foodservice businesses need to be attentive to the temperature of refrigeration during a power outage. If the temperature climbs too high, food is no longer considered safe. To keep your perishables safe, limit opening and closing of refrigeration and freezers.
Assess damages and prepare for the future.
If your facility did not have an emergency plan for lost power, you likely had losses that day. If you want to do better in the future, talk to your MaintenX team to learn about backup power options and maintenance protocols you can use to improve your reaction time. MaintenX wants you to stay in business just as much as you do, so we are here to help you create an emergency plan for any kind of disaster.
To learn more about emergency and disaster repair, talk to your local MaintenX today!
