3 Blackout advice for any company
Every business should make preparations to protect employees and infrastructure in the event of a power outage. All fuses should be turned off and elevators and rooms checked for trapped people. And where is the backwater valve located to prevent the toilet from “reverse flushing”?
The internal “blackout manager” is a person in the company who deals with the immediate effects of prolonged power outages and utility interruptions. He or she raises awareness among employees, customers and management about the unthinkable scenario of a prolonged and area-threatening power outage. In this article, we describe key immediate actions that everyone should be aware of.
Immediate measures
The fuses must be switched off, elevators and rooms must be checked for trapped persons. Where is actually the backwater valve in your company that prevents the toilet from “flushing backwards”?
The blackout manager takes care of that. But first, all employees must accept the reality that there could be a prolonged power outage at any time. It starts with the question, how do I get home? Public transport comes to a standstill, cars with empty tanks stop because gas stations no longer work, and cash can no longer be withdrawn. Suddenly there is an unknown silence. Reuniting the family then becomes a top priority.
Secure elevators and rooms
The elevator gets stuck and the emergency system only works for a short time without power, as emergency calls are sent via 3G or 4G modules using cell phone antennas. Cellular communications are likely to grind to a halt within minutes of the power outage, while landline telephony remains available longer due to the emergency power supply.
Trapped people thus go unnoticed, so it takes someone who lives nearby to check lifts and electronically secured rooms. Controlled lifts and rooms should be marked as “controlled” or “checked” with a note.
Pull out mains plug
There are 2 reasons why all plugs must be pulled or the fuses must be deactivated:
(a) To facilitate power system restart: When the power grid is brought back up, there should not be an overload. Therefore, all power consumers should be removed from the grid to minimize the load during the reboot and to facilitate the process.
b) Overvoltage can damage equipment: Similar to a lightning strike, the sudden voltage buildup can cause an overvoltage to connected devices and damage their electronics.
By the way, you should leave a lamp burning to see when the power returns.
Define emergency team
It is worthwhile to define an emergency team in advance. The team usually consists of members of the management and people who live close to the company. The emergency team must already prepare for a blackout and should have supplies and water ready for 2 weeks. The car’s fuel tank should always be at least half full. Only in this way the emergency team will be able to perform their tasks.
The most difficult question is when the company should go into emergency mode. For example, you could specify that after 24 hours without power, the blackout protocol will be activated. On the website of the Society for Crisis Preparedness you can find useful checklists for preparation.
