Tips and Tricks

Prepare an Emergency Power Outage Plan for Commercial Buildings

Written by John Sims
March 21, 2018
commercial building at night with lights on

A manager or owner of a commercial building may face difficult situations in a power outage. Do tenants know what to do if the electricity goes out? Who should they contact? Are you or the power company tending to tenants’ questions? What precautions can you take to make power outages easier to deal with? An emergency power outage plan addresses these and other concerns before the lights go out, so everybody knows what to do without being left in the dark. Develop a plan now for your commercial building before an outage strikes with these tips.

  1. The easiest way to tend to these problems is to prevent power outages in the first place! Critter Guard’s Line Guard and Pole Guard products protect utility equipment from prying rodents getting to electrical lines and poles to disrupt your power needs.
  2. Ensure everyone in the building is aware of what to do during a power outage. Have the emergency power outage plan printed and posted on a highly visible wall or door. 
  3. Decide who tenants should call when the power goes out, whether it’s you as the building manager or the power company. Include instructions in the plan, like contact details and when to call.
  4. Make sure to update contact information on the plan as needed. Include alternate contacts if possible, in case the primary person cannot be reached.
  5. If necessary, include information on required locations for tenants to group together safely, or if they should shelter-in-place, staying where they are until the power comes back on.
  6. Be sure to include in the plan a list of helpful items tenants should keep on-hand for emergencies. These may include a flashlight with extra batteries, alternative battery-operated light sources or generators, cell phones, and more.
  7. Ask tenants for ideas and concerns they have. Their input helps make each plan more efficient and tailored to these residents and for the location.

Critter Guard specializes in protecting electric power and communication lines for utility companies and homeowners across the United States and internationally. With our guards, you can avoid running into power outages, but it’s always safer to be prepared. For more information on how to improve your commercial and residential emergency power outage plans, contact us today.