What Equipment to Keep On Hand for Facility Power Failures

[This article was written by Meghan Belnap.]

Without a steady source of power, your facility can’t achieve its purpose. Sometimes, though, this power can be interrupted due to any number of mishaps. When these events occur, it’s important to have the right equipment on hand so that you can protect your employees and your facility from further problems.

Backup Generators

Although it’s impractical to power your entire facility using a backup generator, you should have at least one or two on hand to power critical infrastructure to allow for a safe evacuation of your facility. These generators should power select lights, emergency doors, and a few strategically placed power outlets so that you can have power for critical devices. Make sure to have these generators inspected annually so that you know they’ll work when you need them.

Replacement Hardware

For all of the modern equipment to assist with power outages, sometimes there’s nothing to be done except make a replacement. This is especially problematic when it’s an essential electrical part like circuit breakers that blow out completely and need immediate replacement, as these are usually what you rely on to get the power back on. Of course, these and any other electrical parts should be installed by a professional electrician, but having the necessary parts and part types on hand in storage for outages can speed up your repairs immensely as you won’t have to wait for the electrician to research and order the necessary parts.

First-Aid Kit

Though a first-aid kit is important to have on hand at all times, it can come in especially handy when there’s a power outage. Even with good plans and equipment in place, someone is bound to trip in a dark corner, leading to small cuts that need to be treated. As long as you have a good first-aid kit on hand, you can prevent these small injuries from becoming infected, potentially leading to a serious illness.

Bottled Water

If your facility loses power during the summer, it will quickly become too hot to occupy. However, if it’s excessively hot outside, as well, your employees could quickly become dehydrated. That’s why it’s a good idea to have an emergency supply of bottled water on hand so that you can keep your employees hydrated until they can get home or until power can be restored. Since long-term storage in plastic bottles can reduce the quality of the water, it’s a good idea to replace your emergency stash every year or so.

Above all, it’s important to have a plan of what you’ll do if a power failure occurs. Without a plan, all of the safety equipment is virtually useless since there will likely be several individuals panicking because they don’t know what to do. If you have a plan in place, though, and practice it regularly, you can be prepared to respond well if a power failure should occur.

Author Bio:

Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.