Synergy Technical

What To Do When the Power Goes Out: A Guide to Business Continuity Planning

Cyber-attacks and other major threats are top of mind right now, which means everyone is creating a Disaster Recovery (DR) plan . It is important to have a DR plan , but while many companies prioritize being prepared for force majeure they ignore disaster recovery’s little sister, Business Continuity Planning (BCP) .

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Disaster Recovery: how your business-critical items (think servers, data, files, etc.) are restored after a damaging event.

Business Continuity Planning: how to maintain operations when there’s an outage, malfunction, or loss.

As you can see, disaster recovery is how you move on after an unexpected event that results in damage, but BCP is how to continue and protect against loss. The umbrella for BCP is huge – almost every department has a role to play and as such, needs to create and maintain their portion of the business continuity plan . Of course, one of the largest stakeholders in BCP is the Information Technology department, but finance & payroll, operations, facilities, compliance/risk, and even the Board of Directors (if applicable) all play a role in creating a holistic, all-encompassing BCP plan .

Technician preparing check list in server room

How to Create a Business Continuity Plan

There are many ways to go about creating a plan, and there are many great templates out there to get you started (check out this template from FEMA to understand how in-depth your continuity plan should be). But for a tailor-made plan, try this approach: BCDR – b usiness impact, c urrent resources, develop a plan, r evisit. First, run through the five major scenarios that effect your business (data loss/breach, power loss, network outage, physical events [fire, hurricanes, etc.], and emergency communication) and identify how each event would impact a certain department. For example, a network outage at the payroll company’s site would mean your employees are unable to get paid. Finance, HR, and legal would see the biggest impact.

Once you have a wide range of events that could impact the company, see what you may have on hand to create a solution. If you’re planning for an executive’s abrupt departure, is there someone who has been working closely under them for years and could step in at a moment’s notice? If there is a power outage, is the building already equipped with a generator or backup power source large enough to handle your business functions? If not, then it’s on to step 3, developing a plan.

What, you mean we haven’t even developed a plan yet? Well, sort of. You’ve identified potentially impactful events, what the business impact will be, and what you currently have in place to respond in such events. But now is the time to put it all together, create a centralized resource, and make any necessary purchases. If, through the data loss scenario, you found out that your data isn’t backed up or you don’t have a failover server, start the process of purchasing those extra items. Then compile all the scenarios, solutions, and resources into one resource that can be accessed by the necessary business stakeholders.

The last step can seem menial, but it is just as important as the steps preceding. Your BCP is not going to be much help if it’s six years old, does not account for new technologies (cloud), and you’re in a completely new building. Stakeholders should frequently revisit the plan to ensure its accuracy and that it meets regulatory standards. This revisit step also includes training and retraining employees. Think drills and testing, but also ensuring that anyone with a designated role such as taking over in the event another employee leaves is up-to-speed and still able to fulfill that role.

A graphic showing how to develop a continuity plan for highly regulated industries

Testing Your Plan

Remember step 4, revisit? Now is the time to revisit your plan J. It is crucial to do a thorough test of your business continuity plan to identify any weaknesses or holes. A great way to test is to do a simulation. For extra relevance and resources, try doing a simulation of an event that happened to another company (like NotPetya or the Texas grid failure ). By recreating events that happened, you can see how other companies responded and maybe get some other ideas on how to approach the situation.

These tests are the safest way to see how you can improve your plan. As they say, hindsight is 20/20, and simulations allow you to gain a bit of hindsight without business impact. It is important to include the right stakeholders during the tests, too. If you’re responding to a mock tornado, there is not much IT can do until the site is deemed safe; facilities would play a critical role.

A BCP Scenario Happened… Now What?

The moment you’ve been planning for is here – a large hurricane swept through your area, knocking out the power grid for miles. Since there is no power, you also have no internet or AC. This is where your plan kicks in. Your BCP officer (whether official or unofficial) should reference the resource creating in the planning stage and follow the steps outlined. Hopefully during the planning stage, you coordinated a generator that allows your systems to proceed as normal after a brief outage. Now your business is up and running, but it’s also important to check on your most important asset, your employees. Especially with work from home, it’s crucial to make sure your employees are okay. Are they in the office and need to rush home because they need to ensure their family is okay? Find a safe way to help them home if possible. If it looks like anyone who came to the office is stuck there, how will they get food? Humans will always be one of the biggest variables. Hopefully your business continuity plan is strong and can take over the business functions so you can focus on your employees and dealing with any unplanned variables. Even the strongest BCPs will have gaps and flaws, there’s no way to predict every possible event. But by putting in the initial work to get as granular as possible, your business will have the strongest chance of staying up during an event.

Technician maintaining record of rack mounted server on clipboard in server room

Final Thoughts & Reminders

While no business wants to deal with a data breach, most companies have systems in place to prevent and/or recover in case a breach or loss happens. However, the less flashy and scary events like natural disasters or outages tend to be overlooked. Hopefully this blog provides a good starting point to reflect on how prepared your business is and what to do if you have not created a business continuity plan .

When it comes to your data, you don’t want to take any chances. Our BCDR solutions offerings can be tailored to fit your business needs and ensure your data is protected when it is most vulnerable. Contact us today and we’ll get you in touch with the right person that can understand your organization’s business continuity needs.

Would you like to learn more about Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity? Learn more how we can build custom Disaster Recovery (DR) solutions tailored to your unique IT operations.

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Navigating Power Outages: A Guide to Business Continuity

As extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and unpredictable across the country, businesses face a growing challenge: power outages. These unexpected disruptions can halt operations, leading to significant financial losses, decreased productivity, and even data vulnerability. The reality is stark—no industry is immune to the impacts of power failures, whether caused by natural disasters, aging infrastructure, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Recognizing the critical nature of this issue, it’s imperative for businesses to adopt a proactive stance. Preparation is not just about damage control; it’s about ensuring that your operations can withstand and quickly recover from power outages. This is where understanding the potential risks and implementing effective strategies for business continuity become paramount.

In this guide, we’ll delve into the steps your business can take to navigate through power outages, minimizing their impact on your operations. From conducting a thorough risk assessment to leveraging the latest in cloud technology, we’ll guide you through creating a resilient framework that keeps your business running, regardless of external disruptions. Join us as we explore how partnering with cloudIT not only prepares your business for the inevitable but also fortifies it against the unexpected, ensuring that your operations remain seamless and uninterrupted.

Understanding the Impact of Power Outages The consequences of power outages on businesses extend far beyond the immediate inconvenience of a temporary shutdown. When the lights go out, the ripple effects can be profound and varied, depending on the nature and scale of your operations. Here’s a closer look at the potential impacts:

  • Lost Revenue: Every minute your business is non-operational translates to lost income. For retail stores, this means unsold merchandise; for service providers, missed appointments and billable hours. The longer the outage, the greater the financial hemorrhage.
  • Decreased Productivity: In today’s digital age, most businesses rely heavily on electronic communication and digital tools. Power outages abruptly halt these operations, leading to unmet deadlines, disrupted workflows, and a backlog of work that can take days to clear.
  • Data Loss: For businesses that haven’t fully embraced cloud storage or offsite backup solutions, a sudden power cut could mean the loss of unsaved work or, worse, damage to physical servers and the invaluable data they host. This can have long-term repercussions on business continuity and client trust.
  • Equipment Damage: Power outages often come with power surges that can fry the circuits of unprotected electronics, leading to costly repairs or replacements and further operational delays.
  • Reputational Damage: The inability to deliver services or products on time can tarnish your business’s reputation, affecting customer trust and loyalty. In the era of social media, negative experiences can be amplified, causing long-term brand damage.

Different sectors face unique challenges during power outages. For instance, manufacturing plants may deal with the spoilage of perishable goods or damage to sensitive machinery, whereas IT companies might grapple with server downtimes affecting their clients globally.

Understanding these impacts is the first step in crafting a robust strategy to mitigate the risks associated with power outages, ensuring that your business can continue to operate smoothly, no matter the circumstances.

Preparing Your Business for Power Outages To safeguard your operations from the disruptive effects of power outages, a well-thought-out preparation plan is essential. Here’s how to fortify your business:

Risk Assessment Begin with a comprehensive assessment of your business’s vulnerability to power outages. Identify critical operations and the systems that support them. Understand how a power failure could affect these areas and evaluate the potential financial and operational impacts. This step helps prioritize the protection of essential functions and data.

Emergency Response Plan Develop an emergency response plan tailored to your business’s unique needs. This plan should include:

  • Communication Strategy: Establish clear communication channels to notify employees, customers, and stakeholders of an outage and keep them updated on the status of operations.
  • Resource Allocation: Determine which resources are critical for minimum viable operations during an outage and ensure they can be quickly mobilized.
  • Emergency Procedures: Outline specific steps for securing premises and protecting sensitive equipment and data during power failures.

Data Protection Data is often a business’s most valuable asset. Implement robust data backup and recovery solutions to protect against data loss. Regularly back up critical data to offsite or cloud-based storage to ensure it can be accessed and restored from anywhere, anytime.

Alternative Power Sources Investing in alternative power sources can provide an uninterrupted power supply during outages. Depending on the prevalence of power outages in your location, it might make sense to consider options such as:

Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS): For critical systems and equipment, a UPS can provide immediate backup power and enough time to safely shut down or switch to a generator.

Generators: Standby generators can power essential operations for extended periods, although they require regular maintenance and fuel.

Renewable Energy Sources: Solar panels and wind turbines can offer sustainable backup power options and reduce reliance on the grid.

By taking these proactive steps, your business can minimize the impact of power outages and maintain critical operations. The goal is not just to react to power failures when they occur but to have a resilient system in place that ensures business continuity under any circumstances.

Leveraging Technology for Business Continuity In the quest to maintain operations during power outages, technology plays a pivotal role. Here are key technological strategies that can enhance your business continuity plans:

Cloud Computing The cloud offers a reliable solution for ensuring access to critical data and applications, regardless of local power conditions. By hosting your servers, databases, and applications in the cloud, your employees can work from any location with an internet connection. This not only minimizes downtime during power outages but also provides a flexible and scalable infrastructure that can grow with your business.

  • Benefits: Enhanced data security, disaster recovery capabilities, and the elimination of physical server maintenance.
  • Implementation: Choose a cloud service provider that offers high uptime guarantees, robust security measures, and comprehensive support.

Remote Work Solutions Empowering your workforce with the ability to work remotely ensures that business operations can continue uninterrupted, even if your physical office space is affected by a power outage.

  • Tools: Invest in secure, reliable remote access solutions, such as VPNs, and cloud-based collaboration tools that enable your team to communicate and share resources efficiently from anywhere.
  • Policies: Develop clear remote work policies and provide training to ensure your team knows how to operate effectively outside the office.

Monitoring and Alerts Staying informed about power outage risks can help you react more swiftly to minimize impact.

  • Monitoring Services: Utilize services that monitor power status in real-time and alert you to outages in your area, allowing you to enact your emergency plans promptly.
  • IT System Monitoring: Implement IT infrastructure monitoring tools to detect and alert you to system failures or performance issues that could indicate a problem or exacerbate the effects of a power outage.

By integrating these technological strategies into your business continuity plan, you can ensure that your operations remain resilient in the face of power outages. Cloud computing, remote work capabilities, and proactive monitoring are not just about disaster response; they’re about transforming your business processes to be more flexible, secure, and efficient, regardless of external disruptions.

Partnering with an MSP for Uninterrupted Operations In navigating the complexities of power outages and ensuring business continuity, partnering with a knowledgeable and experienced IT solutions provider like cloudIT can make a significant difference. cloudIT specializes in offering tailor-made solutions that protect your business operations from the unpredictable nature of power disruptions. Here’s how cloudIT can be your ally in maintaining seamless business operations:

Customized Cloud Solutions cloudIT understands that each business has unique needs and challenges. By offering customized cloud computing solutions , we ensure that your critical data and applications are securely hosted in the cloud, accessible from anywhere, anytime. This flexibility is crucial for minimizing downtime during power outages and keeping your operations running smoothly.

  • Disaster Recovery Planning: cloudIT helps you design and implement a robust disaster recovery plan that includes regular data backups and failover systems to ensure data integrity and availability.
  • Scalable Infrastructure: As your business grows, cloudIT’s scalable solutions grow with you, offering the flexibility to adjust resources according to your needs without the worry of physical infrastructure limitations.

Enhanced Remote Work Capabilities Leveraging cloudIT’s expertise, your business can adopt effective remote work solutions that ensure your team stays productive, even when they can’t access the office. From secure VPNs to collaboration tools, cloudIT provides the technology and support needed to create a seamless remote working environment.

  • Security: Ensuring the security of remote connections and data is a top priority. cloudIT implements advanced security measures to protect your data from threats, regardless of where your team is working.
  • Training and Support: Beyond technology implementation, cloudIT offers training and ongoing support to ensure your team can leverage these tools effectively, enhancing productivity and collaboration.

Proactive Monitoring and Support With cloudIT, you’re not just getting an IT service provider; you’re gaining a partner who proactively monitors your systems to prevent and quickly respond to issues. Our monitoring services keep an eye on your IT infrastructure, identifying potential problems before they cause disruptions, ensuring your business operations remain uninterrupted.

  • Real-Time Alerts: Receive instant notifications about system performance issues or power outage risks, allowing for swift action to mitigate impacts.
  • 24/7 Support: In the event of a power outage or any IT issue, cloudIT’s dedicated support team is available around the clock to assist with rapid response and recovery efforts.

Contact cloudIT today to learn how your business can confidently navigate the challenges of power outages with comprehensive, customized IT solutions. Our expertise in cloud services, data protection, and remote work solutions ensures that your business not only survives power disruptions but thrives with uninterrupted operations.

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Business Power Outage Emergency Response Planning in 7 Easy Steps

Power outages can be devastating events that last anywhere from a few hours to days on end. But you don’t have to accept your fate as an idle business. With a power outage emergency response plan, you can mitigate these disruptions and keep your organization moving.    

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  • 7 Steps to a Power Outage Emergency Response Plan

Power Outage Preparedness Year-Round

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Every year, the U.S. electrical grid experiences thousands of interruptions that cut off service to customers, including many businesses that rely on the grid to continue operations. From financial losses and productivity gaps to compromised customer trust, the impact of an unexpected power outage can be severe. In fact, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, U.S. businesses lose billions of dollars a year due to electric power outages. And while 44% of these are still due to environmental effects like weather, according to Ready.gov, we’ve seen a recent increase in unpredictable domestic terror attacks on power infrastructure , making it crucial for safety leaders to prioritize power outage preparedness.

You won’t get very far if you wait until the lights go out to start preparing for a power outage; mitigating a power outage requires planning ahead, making a plan, gathering the resources, and knowing when to activate it all. But not to worry, here’s what you need to do to make sure that your organization doesn’t shut down when the grid does.

Emergency Response Plan Template

7 steps to create your power outage emergency response plan.

The best way to start preparing for a power outage is to develop a power outage emergency response plan . Similar to a crisis management plan , this document will help you determine who to enlist, what their responsibilities should be, the resources they’ll need, and more. In your plan, include the following steps.

Step 1. Identify threats

Before preparing a response strategy, you must understand the threats you might encounter. The exercise best suited to understanding the range of risks your business faces is called a risk assessment, AKA a business threat assessment . It is an indispensable framework for evaluating risks in any part of a business, not just those related to power outages. But we’ll just be focusing on power outages today.

A power outage is a unique threat in that it has variable causes. Therefore, it’s important to assess the risks on two levels:

  • What are the potential threats that could lead to a power outage?
  • What are the various risks that arise for your people and your business in the event of an outage?

Once you’ve identified the potential threats, you can then rate them according to their relative severity and likelihood. Then you can plot them on a “threat matrix” grid to give you an easy visual representation of your threat landscape, guiding your preparedness efforts. For example, you’ll likely want to prioritize preparation for threats that are both highly likely to occur and with high impact on your business.

risk matrix

As you might imagine, one organization’s risks of power outage may vary significantly from another organization’s because of business structure, the vulnerability of a particular area’s power grid to weather disruptions, or even its susceptibility to targeted attacks on power delivery systems. The best way to keep all this information straight is to use a threat assessment template to ensure that you think of everything.

Step 2. Gather contact information

The most essential part of emergency management is communication. After all, if you can’t communicate, there may be people who remain in the dark about the outage—especially if you have distributed employees and vendors or customers who might also be impacted. And you can’t communicate if you don’t know how to reach the right people, so dedicate a section of your response plan to emergency communication. Ensure you have multiple ways of reaching your employees, from phone calls and text messages to email and mobile app notifications. Remember to include phone numbers for local resources like the police, fire department, EMS, and local news to help you stay connected and supported by your community.

Step 3. Build an emergency response team

Creating an emergency response team is vital to efficiently handle a blackout. Begin by appointing a designated leader who will oversee the implementation of the plan. This leader should possess strong decision-making skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Additionally, identify key roles and responsibilities within the team, such as personnel responsible for communication, safety, equipment, and facilities. The exact roles your company might activate during a power outage emergency response plan may differ, but these are the most common:

  • Incident commander – You can think of this person as the CEO of your emergency response. Their responsibility is to oversee the entire operation and ensure everyone else is doing their jobs.
  • Evacuation route guides – In the event of a power outage, anyone in a dark workplace needs to be led to safety. Designated guides should be equipped with flashlights and reflective vests to help aid evacuees.
  • Communication commander – This person oversees the emergency mass notification system and keeps everyone in the know.
  • Energy leader – This person’s job is to repair or restore the supply of power to electrical equipment, even if only in a limited way. Depending on your organization’s plan and resources, this person will be in charge of emergency lighting, emergency generators, battery distribution, or setting up a secondary workplace in a location with power.

Step 4. Take stock of resources

Power outages are fundamentally a question of resources and infrastructure. In order to plan for outages effectively, you must know what alternative resources you already have on hand. Questions to ask yourself include:

  • If so, what is their wattage capacity?
  • How many systems and devices could they run?
  • Does your workplace have battery-powered emergency lighting?
  • Do employees have personal flashlights or other illuminators?
  • Depending on your climate, what heating, cooling, and air filtration options would you have without grid power? Do you have natural gas-based heating?
  • What emergency supplies, like food, drinking water, and first aid kits, do you have available?

Pro Tip: Utility companies recommend not only preparing for power outages, but also for extreme temperatures that can accompany them. Teach heat safety and cold weather safety in tandem with power outage preparedness.

Step 5. Formulate and document the emergency plan

Now comes the fun part: devising the strategy you’ll use to respond to power outages. This can be broken down into a few sub-steps:

1. Prepare a comprehensive checklist of essential steps

Outline the specific tasks and procedures required to mitigate the impact of a power outage on your business. Include actions such as identifying critical equipment, establishing emergency power sources, and implementing communication protocols.

2. Outline procedures for immediate response and prioritization

Define the steps to be taken immediately after a power outage occurs. This may involve shutting down non-essential systems or those that would automatically restart upon receiving power, securing sensitive data, and activating backup power sources.

3. Address employee safety and evacuation protocols

Develop protocols to ensure the safety and well-being of your employees during a power outage. Establish evacuation procedures, designate assembly areas, and provide training in emergency response protocols, especially related to public safety issues like avoiding downed power lines. Plan to install battery-powered emergency lighting to allow for safer navigation in the dark and ensure your first aid training regimen is up to date. Test CO meters to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Ensure that fire protection measures like extinguishers and sprinklers are in working order, as some of the issues that cause power outages can also start fires, like shorted electrical circuits.

4. Establish protocols for backup power and generator usage

Determine the capacity and requirements for backup power sources, such as generators. Create guidelines for their installation, operation, and maintenance.

5. Devise a communication strategy

Establish a communication strategy to keep employees, customers, and stakeholders informed during power outages. Utilize multiple channels, such as text messages, emails, and social media, to relay updates and instructions. You can even use your emergency response plan to write out message templates, saving time during an emergency.

6. Document the plan and ensure it’s accessible

Create a detailed document that includes all aspects of your power outage emergency response plan. Make sure it is easily accessible to all relevant parties, both digitally and in physical form. You’ll need to make sure safety leaders, department heads, and other company stakeholders have a copy of this plan and have a chance to sign off on it.

Step 6. Test the response plan and train your employees

Developing a plan is only the first step. Regular emergency drills and simulations are essential to test the effectiveness of the response plan. Conduct these exercises to identify any gaps or areas for improvement. Additionally, train designated employees in their roles and responsibilities on the emergency response team. This training will ensure a smooth plan execution during actual power outage situations. Regularly review and update the plan based on lessons learned from drills and real-world events.

Pro Tip: A great low-cost way to practice your power outage emergency response is with tabletop exercises .

Step 7. Plan for post-outage recovery

After any short or extended power outage, swift recovery is essential to minimize further disruptions. Take the following steps:

  • Assess damages and losses : Evaluate the impact of the power outage on your business. Assess personal injuries, physical damages, financial losses, and any potential data breaches or compromised systems.
  • Restore operations and infrastructure : Develop a step-by-step plan for restoring operations and infrastructure. Prioritize critical systems and equipment to minimize downtime and initiate repairs or replacements as necessary.

Since power outages can occur unexpectedly, implementing year-round power emergency preparedness measures is crucial. Consider the following actions:

  • Maintain backup power sources and generators : Regularly inspect and service backup power sources and generators to ensure they are in optimal condition when needed. Develop a maintenance schedule and perform routine checks on all backup equipment.
  • Stock up on emergency supplies : Keep a stock of emergency kits full of essential emergency supplies such as flashlights, batteries, first aid materials, and non-perishable food items. Ensure these emergency supply kits are easily accessible to employees during power outages. Check their contents annually to ensure they’re topped up and the items are in good condition.
  • Establish relationships with local utility providers and emergency services : Foster relationships with local utility providers and emergency services. They can provide valuable support and updates during power outages, helping your business navigate challenging situations more effectively.
  • Accommodate remote work : For workers who spend most of their time behind a computer, continuing work can be as simple as bringing their laptop home or to another location. Even if your workers usually come to an office every day, consider supplying them with laptops they can take with them (as well as proper IT protections to avoid gaps in your network security) so that their work isn’t tied to the office’s power supply.

On the flip side, AlertMedia customers have reported that keeping in touch with remote employees during power outages can be challenging without the proper tools. Ensure you have an emergency mass notification system that can send multichannel notifications—that is, across multiple mediums, like voice call, text, email, desktop alerts, and more.

It doesn’t make sense (or money) to make the same mistake twice. Power outages provide valuable lessons that can inform future preparedness efforts. Here’s how you make sure each power emergency you face is less impactful than the last:

  • Document lessons learned : Analyze the performance of your power outage emergency response plan following each power outage event. Identify areas of improvement and make necessary adjustments to enhance preparedness for future incidents.
  • Update the plan based on new information and technologies : Incorporate new information, technologies, and best practices into your power outage emergency response plan. Stay up to date with industry standards and advancements to ensure the plan remains effective and relevant.
  • Share knowledge and best practices : Foster a culture of continuous improvement by sharing knowledge and best practices within your organization. Encourage employees to contribute their insights and ideas to enhance the power outage emergency response plan.

Fight (for) the Power

In today’s unpredictable world, power outages pose significant risks to businesses. By prioritizing preparedness and developing a comprehensive power outage emergency response plan, companies can minimize disruptions, protect their employees, and maintain essential operations. Implementing proactive strategies, conducting regular drills, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement will ensure your business is ready to handle power outages effectively and emerge stronger from such events.

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How to minimize business disruption from power outages.

How to Minimize Business Disruption from Power Outages

When a power outage occurs, employees can’t perform their jobs, resulting in unplanned downtime that can cost a business thousands, if not millions, of dollars. A single power outage can prove so devastating to a business’s revenue and operating costs that it can lead to a situation that makes recovery difficult.

Surging U.S. Power Outages

Power outages have been on the rise in the U.S. for more than a decade. The increased demand for electricity on an aging and more vulnerable infrastructure is the culprit and weather-related events are the top cause.

According to the nonprofit research group Climate Central, from 2000 to 2021, 83% of reported power outages were caused by weather-related events. These include high wind, heavy rain, floods, thunderstorms, snow, ice, freezing rain, tornadoes, hurricanes, and extreme heat, which can lead to drought and increase the potential for wildfires.

Non-weather-related causes include animals contacting fuses or transformers, vehicle accidents that damage poles and power lines, equipment failure, and power surges.

Power Outage Effects: Not Good for Business

No matter the cause of a power outage, the effect is the same — no power. No power can have a variety of implications that impact productivity and a business’s bottom line, including:

1. Customer Loss and Revenue Loss

If customers can’t contact you and you can’t contact them, orders for services or goods come to a halt. Even if the power loss is short-term, the effects of an outage can linger, impacting how your customers view your business.

For example, a customer may write a bad review, tell friends or family about their poor customer experience, or end their business relationship with you and seek out a competitor — all of which affect your reputation and revenue. 

2. Unturned Inventory

If customers can’t make purchases or deliveries can’t be made, unturned inventory increases, which results in scrambling to find solutions to handle additional inventory and adjust incoming shipments.

If your business handles perishable goods, such as pharmaceuticals, flowers/plants, or foods that require refrigeration, you may have to dispose of the inventory.

3. Supply Chain Problems

Business-to-business (B2B) transactions rely on other businesses to maintain smooth operations and a well-functioning supply chain. If one business loses power and can’t provide inventory or services to another business, it can exacerbate supply chain challenges and cause a dramatic ripple effect throughout the supply chain.

4. Lost Data/Damaged Equipment

When a power outage occurs, computers and operating systems shut down unexpectedly. This can cause open files to become corrupted, damaged, or lost, and can damage electrical equipment.

Productivity can also be impacted. Employees may be unable to complete job tasks and numerous hours will likely be spent on data recovery — costing time and money and disrupting normal business operations. 

How to Minimize Power Outage Effects

Minimizing or preventing the impact of a short-term or long-term power outage on your business can be as simple as being prepared. The following are three precautions to take to prepare for an outage:

1. Create a Business Continuity Plan

A business continuity plan outlines how your business will remain operational, and how employees will be protected during a power outage or other disaster.  

When creating a plan, it’s best to take a committee approach that identifies potential risks, determines how those risks will impact operations, and defines the procedures needed to mitigate them. Your plan should be tested and practiced, including employee drills so your employees know their roles, enabling your business to recover more quickly.

 Remember to test your plan to keep it current and tailored to your business needs.

2. Buy a Backup Generator

A backup generator is a simple way to ensure your operations can continue running when a power outage occurs.

There are two types of generators — portable and standby. A portable generator is typically lower in cost, has less wattage, and runs on gasoline. A standby generator is ideal for larger businesses, runs on diesel, natural gas, or propane, and automatically turns on when a power outage is detected.

To determine the generator size and type needed and ensure proper installation, schedule a consultation with a generator specialist.

3. Have an Emergency Fuel Plan

Without a reliable fuel supply, a backup generator is useless, and your vehicles are not road ready.  

An emergency fuel plan ensures you have the fuel you need when conventional fuel is unavailable. Make sure your fuel provider has the tank wagon capacity to cover your needs, multiple sources for guaranteed fuel, and 24/7/365 availability. Additionally, discuss whether you need to rent fuel storage tanks. If you need to rent tanks, ask your fuel provider about tank monitoring services so you can accurately monitor and track inventory and ensure fuel quality and availability.

Whether it’s to mitigate the risks of an unexpected event such as a power outage, determine the most efficient routes for your drivers, or set business goals for the upcoming year, planning ahead matters. You can’t predict the future, but you can anticipate it. And in doing so, put your business ahead and on track for a bright future.

Continuity Insights

Tips for Making a Power Outage Business Continuity Plan

Continuity insights.

A power outage business continuity plan must be included in an organization’s incident response protocols. Organizations can also take various measures to minimize the likelihood of power outages, such as infrastructure testing and ensuring ample backup power supply access.

Writing for TechTarget , Paul Kirvan has pulled together downloadable checklists of duties to perform when a power outage occurs. These steps are customizable and fit into any incident response plan. Read the full story here .

ServiceNow Named a Leader in the 2021 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for IT Vendor Risk Management Tools

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business continuity plan power outage

Power Outage Ready Business Toolkit

The Ready Business Program for Power Outage allows users to take action to protect employees, protect customers, and help ensure business continuity due to power failures.

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Unified Power

Power Outage Procedures for Businesses

In an era where reliance on electricity has never been more critical, even a momentary blip in power can trigger serious ― and extremely expensive ― consequences for your business. From equipment damage to data loss to wounded reputation, the effects of downtime can take a significant toll on any organization. Those that lack a sufficient power protection solution face even more devastating business impacts when an unexpected loss of power occurs. 

But the news isn’t all doom and gloom; organizations that properly prepare can significantly improve their chance of making a successful recovery when a power outage does strike. By implementing an emergency preparedness strategy, you can help prevent your entire operation from going lights-out, even when the power does just that.

The Importance of Creating a Power Outage Procedure for Your Business 

As climate change fuels more frequent and severe weather events such as hurricanes , wildfires and snowstorms, longer blackouts are becoming an even greater threat. In 2021, the U.S. power grid collapsed multiple times during incidents unleashed by Mother Nature, with the average electricity customer experiencing 7 hours and 20 minutes without power, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s annual power industry report . Even more, a 2018 Bloom Energy survey found that one in four companies experiences a power outage at least once a month. 

From severe weather to wildlife interference to vehicle accidents, there’s certainly no shortage of blackout risks, making proper outage planning absolutely essential. The consequences of downtime from unexpected power outages can be huge, including lost revenue, equipment damage, data loss, missed transactions, reduced productivity and spoiled inventory, among other unpleasant effects. While the average cost of downtime can vary dramatically by industry, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that power outages cost U.S. businesses $150 billion each year. But the results of a power outage aren’t always easily measurable; damages can extend far beyond ruined goods or lost sales if your business’ reputation is tarnished from being unable to effectively serve customers. Furthermore, profits aren’t the only negative consequence of power cuts; in the medical world, for instance, the briefest disturbance in electricity can also cost lives . Many small businesses have even been forced to close their doors in the aftermath of an extended blackout. 

While this collection of statistics is certainly ominous, it underscores the importance of developing a comprehensive business continuity and disaster recovery strategy ― with power outage planning representing a key aspect of that plan. 

How Businesses Can Prepare for a Power Outage 

The Boy Scouts had it right when they coined the organization’s motto of “Be Prepared.” Indeed, it is much wiser to consider what is needed during a power outage before you’re left in the dark. That’s why the first order of business is to create a business continuity plan (BCP), a document that consists of critical information a business needs to continue operating during an unplanned event such as when an outage occurs.  Unlike disaster recovery (DR) planning ― which outlines how to restore business processes within a certain timeframe in the aftermath of a disaster ― business continuity programs are designed to keep critical functions continuing with minimal downtime during an unplanned interruption. By evaluating which aspects of your business would be most vulnerable during an outage and detailing the steps to address them, a well-thought-out BCP decreases the risk of detrimental and costly consequences from a loss of power. 

When developing a power outage plan for business, it is important to consider the different types of backup power solutions available and which will best meet your individual needs. While an uninterruptible power system (UPS) is the first line of defense in safeguarding critical equipment and processes, many businesses opt to deploy additional measures to bolster their level of protection. For example, extended battery modules (EBMs) facilitate longer runtime during a power loss. Another key element is selecting a power management software capable of performing an automatic, orderly shutdown of connected devices and saving all work-in-progress. Additionally, installing surge protection devices will help shield electronic equipment from power surges or spikes that can damage sensitive electronics.

A solid response plan may also include investment in an emergency generator to provide power during an extended outage. Regardless of the type of backup solution you deploy, before an outage strikes, make sure that the proper personnel know how to operate all backup equipment. Furthermore, it is crucial to properly maintain your backup solution to ensure it performs as designed when you need it most. 

Other proactive steps that should be considered prior to an outage include determining procedures for disconnecting and powering down equipment; establishing processes for data backup and retrieval; assembling an emergency kit; determining personnel matters such as how long employees will remain on site during a power outage and possible work-from-home requirements; addressing workplace safety issues including installing emergency lighting; and defining procedures for entering or exiting the facility. Finally, make sure all information and resources, as well as safety tips, are shared with your employees.

What Business Should Do During a Power Outage 

You’ve compiled your BCP, conducted routine power outage drills with your staff, and in the midst of your work day, the lights just went out ― so now what? Keep in mind that specific procedures will vary based on the type and size of the business, among other factors. For instance, power outage procedures for restaurants will differ from those in critical healthcare settings. But regardless of the industry, safety will always be the highest priority during a power outage, so the first order of business should be to check on all customers and employees and call 911 if there are any emergencies.

It’s always recommended that you report a power outage to your utility company. Some providers will have a dedicated point of contact assigned to your business; if this is the case, be sure to record that information in your BCP. Next, disconnect or shut down electronic equipment if you do not have power management software that will do so automatically, and ensure that your standby generator has powered on. Once these tasks are completed, you should account for all employees at predetermined meeting areas. Depending on the outage information that may be available from the utility company, management will need to decide whether to send employees home for the day, have them work remotely or stand by to return to the office. During any lengthy power outage, be sure to communicate regularly with employees on the status of the event.

Some companies rely on MiFi during an outage. This portable broadband device allows multiple end users and mobile devices to share a 3G or 4G mobile broadband Internet connection and create an ad-hoc network. In addition, some businesses may move to a defined alternate location where they can resume operations if the primary location is not usable.

What to Do After a Power Outage

When the lights finally flicker back on after a power outage, the immediate threat may have passed but there is still important work to be done. Once you’ve confirmed that electricity has been reestablished, be sure to check all electrical equipment for possible damage. If your business has a generator, you will also need to turn it off. Once these tasks have been completed, you can turn your attention to assessing any losses that may have resulted from the blackout. 

How to Build a Plan 

Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that as many as 75 percent of businesses without a BCP will fail within three years of a disaster, many organizations neglect to put a strategy in place. Business continuity and disaster recovery planning doesn’t need to be an ominous task. A company’s IT administrators often create the plan with input from the executive staff. However, any personnel with knowledge of the business and oversight can participate in the process or even draft the document. 

When compiling your BCP, be sure to include power disruptions into risk assessments and business impact analyses. These examinations will help identify ways to prepare for electricity losses and how to mitigate the severity of an outage to your business. Your plan should include instructions for periodically inspecting building infrastructure and power protection equipment; determining who should perform what actions during a power event; and how to share the plan with employees. Help your staff prepare by scheduling training on your BCP, as well as conducting routine power outage drills. Don’t forget to review and update your plan on a regular basis.

Contact Unified Power for the UPS Equipment Your Business Needs 

For more than two decades, Unified Power has been providing critical power equipment and services to companies across the country, including preventive maintenance and emergency response. We offer comprehensive power solutions customized to fit the needs of every business, including UPSs, backup generators, DC plants, power distribution units (PDUs) and more.

Our solutions and services will ensure you are back in business as quickly as possible after a power outage. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you keep power losses from becoming business losses.     

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Critical Power Solutions: Ensuring Business Continuity in Power Outages

Power outages can strike unexpectedly, caused by various factors such as severe weather, electrical grid failures, or technical malfunctions. The consequences for businesses range from data loss and operational downtime to significant financial losses. Understanding these risks is the first step toward effective mitigation.

Critical Power Solutions: A Comprehensive Overview

To combat these challenges, DC Group offers a range of critical power solutions . From state-of-the-art UPS systems to backup generators and renewable energy sources, we provide comprehensive options to keep your business running smoothly during power interruptions.

Developing a Power Outage Business Continuity Plan

An essential aspect of safeguarding your business is developing a robust power outage plan to ensure business continuity. This plan should incorporate the deployment of reliable UPS systems, emergency power sources, and clear protocols for responding to power disruptions.

UPS Systems: The First Line of Defense

A core component of our solutions is the UPS system, which provides immediate power backup during outages. Our expertise lies in helping businesses select and maintain the UPS system that best fits their specific requirements, ensuring seamless operation during power interruptions.

Case Studies: Businesses That Successfully Managed Power Outages

DC Group’s commitment to power continuity is evidenced by numerous success stories. Our solutions have helped various businesses, from data centers to manufacturing plants, successfully navigate power outages with minimal impact on operations.

Maintenance and Testing of Critical Power Systems

To ensure the reliability of these systems, regular preventive maintenance and testing are crucial. Our team of experts provides comprehensive maintenance services, including infrared thermography, circuit board repair, and component assembly, to ensure your power solutions are always ready.

Future-Proofing Your Business Against Power Outages

Looking to the future, DC Group remains at the forefront of innovations in critical power solutions. We continually update our offerings with the latest technology, helping businesses stay ahead of power management challenges.

Ensuring business continuity in the face of power outages is more than a service—it’s our mission. With DC Group’s unmatched expertise, extensive parts inventory, swift response times, and cost-effective solutions, your business is in safe hands.

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Extended Power Outages Require Business Continuity Planning

Jan 28, 2013

In October 2012, nearly 8.1 million homes and businesses lost power, many for an extended time period, due to Hurricane Sandy. According to Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) spokesman Ron Morano, the storm created the worst damage in the company’s history. As a result, power restoration was slowed and businesses across the northeast region suffered.

"In New Jersey alone, nearly 19,000 small businesses sustained damage of $250,000 or more with total business losses estimated at $8.3 billion as a result of Hurricane Sandy, about 1.0 percent of New Jersey Gross State Product in 2012." Economic Impact of Hurricane Sandy - Potential Economic Lost and Gained in New Jersey and New York (U.S. Department of Commerce).

When infrastructure disruptions occur, such as an extended power failure, companies operations can endure significant challenges and potential financial losses. If operations, equipment, or supplies are affected, companies must seek alternate ways to remain operational, or as in Hurricane Sandy’s case, attempt to recover quickly. A power outage business continuity plan (BCP) is a vital tool that prepares organizations for incidents that could impair their ability to operate as a result of temporary or permanent loss of infrastructure, critical staff, software, and vital records.

Although Sandy’s vast devastation was unprecedented, companies must ensure precautionary actions are in place to sustain the viability of their business. By pre-identifying critical processes and the equipment necessary to function, alternatives can be explored and a BCP can be developed. The process of creating and implementing a BCP may reduce the impacts of infrastructure disorder and associated supply chain disruptions. Business continuity preparedness can prevent unnecessary downtime, increased recovery efforts, and protect the financial bottom line.

Identifying critical utility and technology related operations is the first step in mitigating and combating the potential threat of an extended power outage. Possible critical utility and technology involved in business operations include, but are not limited to:

  • Utilities including electric power, gas, water, hydraulics, compressed air, municipal and internal sewer systems, wastewater treatment services
  • Security and alarm systems, elevators, lighting, life support systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, electrical distribution system
  • Manufacturing and pollution control equipment
  • Voice and data communication systems and computer networks
  • Air, highway, railroad, and waterway transportation systems

Once utility and technology related operations are identified, the following planning considerations should be taken into account in order to safeguard critical systems during a power outage and develop a business continuity plan with effective procedures :

  • Determine the impact of service disruptions and mitigate if possible (generators, fuel, relocating inventory, back up suppliers etc.)
  • Ensure that key safety and maintenance personnel are thoroughly familiar with all building systems, such as alarms, utility shutoffs, elevators, etc
  • Establish company-wide computer security, download, and backup practices in order to secure technologies and communications networks
  • Establish procedures for restoring systems
  • Establish preventive maintenance schedules for all systems and equipment

Updating a BCP should be a continuously evolving process capturing changes in personnel, contractors, stakeholders, operations, and equipment. Each department should evaluate current critical processes, mitigate identified deficiencies, and update the plan as necessary. In the event of an extended power outage, a business continuity plan should identify recovery time objectives for the following concepts:

Supply Chain: Pre-selected alternate resources to ensure consistent delivery and continued operations in the event primary suppliers are not able to provide required services.

Essential Personnel: Identify necessary minimum staffing levels to remain on-site during a storm (if deemed safe) and for recovery operations. As the storm passes, ensure staff, contractors, and suppliers understand their individual responsibilities and recovery time objectives.

Equipment needs: Identify and procure necessary equipment, and establish processes for continued operations and recovery. This will prevent unnecessary downtime and additional recovery efforts after a hurricane. Relocating equipment or inventory prior to a storm may be an option. After a storm, repairing and replacing these essentials can be slow, labor intensive, potentially costly.

Data and computer needs: Companies may examine data center outsourcing to ensure continuity and accessibility. Identifying the procedural details of computer backups, data restoration methods, and minimum software requirements are crucial to re-establish technology related critical business processes.

Communication needs: Clear and effective communication channels must remain available in order to disseminate information to employees, assess and relay damage, and coordinate a recovery strategy. A mass notification system may assure a reliable method to communicate to key individuals, company employees, or an entire client base.

No storm preparedness, whether for a hurricane or blizzard, goes wasted. Every “close call” storm provides a real-time test of the effectiveness of your business' power outage preparedness procedures. No matter how far a storm veers off path, company facilities, employees, and coordinating responders can gain planning insight by the act of initiating business continuity plans.

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Adding power outages to your business continuity plan.

Adding Power Outages To Your Business Continuity Plan

Adding power outages to your business continuity plan is a critical step in ensuring your company’s survival during an emergency. 

Critical power solutions such as emergency generators and uninterruptible power supplies can help keep your business running during power cuts, storms, blackouts, and more.

So, does your continuity plan combat any emergency power outages? Are they tailored to your specific business needs and operations? These are two of the many questions you will need to consider when looking at adding power outages to your business continuity plan. Not taking these things into consideration can lead to disastrous consequences.

With the right emergency power solutions in place, you can help keep your business running even when the grid is down. Critical systems such as servers, telecommunications, and security systems can all be powered by a UPS and generator; preventing any interruption in your day-to-day operations.

In addition, regular testing of your company’s infrastructure is essential for identifying any potential issues; before they negatively impact your business operations.

What is a business continuity plan?

It is an established set of procedures for responding to disruptive events that can affect your business. This plan should include a backup power source to ensure uninterrupted operations in any eventuality.

By having an effective business continuity plan, you can help make sure your company survives any emergency power outages. When choosing the right power solutions, be sure to consider all business requirements such as essential equipment that needs constant power as well as other factors that can affect the size and type of backup power you will use.

How do I add power outages to my business continuity plan?

Generators and UPS systems should be a critical part of your company’s business continuity plan. The critical power solution you need depends on your business needs and day-to-day operations.

Installing a UPS and generator that is capable of maintaining the necessary power to critical systems such as servers and telecommunications, will ensure that during a power outage your company can continue to operate smoothly.

Often forgotten is the importance of regular servicing and maintenance for generators and UPS systems. Critical power solutions in a business continuity plan should be part of a regular maintenance routine that keeps them in prime condition. 

If a UPS or generator is not in good working order when you need it, then your business may fail to continue operating during a power outage. 

It could be the difference between your business continuing to operate or having a shutdown for the duration of the power outage. Unexpected power failures can be very costly to businesses; how much would your business lose if you had to shut up shop for the day or longer?

Need to know what size and type of generator is best suited for you? Read our generator sizing and selection guide here.

Benefits of adding power outages to your business continuity plan:

> Ensuring no disruption to your critical systems, as servers and telecommunications are powered by a UPS and generator.

> Prevents any interruption in your day-to-day operations.

> Highly efficient UPS and generators can power multiple components simultaneously, reducing the need for several backup units.

> Regular testing of your company’s infrastructure can identify potential issues before they become a problem and disrupt your business.

Power outages can happen at any moment. So, it’s important to have a backup plan in place. By having an emergency power solution in place. You can ensure that your critical systems will stay up and running, preventing any interruption in your day-to-day operations.

Critical power solutions are designed to supply essential services; that keep businesses up and running during outages caused by natural disasters or system failures. So you can rest assured that your business can maintain operations despite any emergency or impact to the mains power supply.

Nationwide Bespoke Critical Power Solutions with P & I Generators

P & I’s expert design team is well-equipped to provide you with the best power solution for your business. We aim to make your solution fit your current and future needs with bespoke design systems. 

We can build control systems for any generator, LV/HV switchgear, and UPS system. We are able to build bespoke designs for any control system and have installed many systems for local water facilities. Our in-house specialists have the ability to design, manufacture and test panels to your specification.

If you’re looking for an emergency critical power solution for your business, get in touch with a member of the team today!

We have solutions for all types of budgets, so if you would like to discuss your generator service and maintenance requirements; contact our team on 023 9278 3450 or [email protected].

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Russia’s BN-800 refuelled with mox: full mox core planned for 2022

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The first full refuelling of Russia’s BN-800 fast reactor at unit 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with only uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (mox) fuel was completed during the recent scheduled maintenance outage, fuel company TVEL (part of Rosatom) announced on 24 February. The unit, which was shut down on 8 January, has been reconnected to the grid and has resumed electricity production. The first 18 serial mox fuel assemblies were loaded into the reactor in January 2020, and another 160 fuel assemblies have now been added to them. Thus, the BN-800 core is now one-third filled with innovative fuel and in future only mox fuel will be loaded into the reactor.

“Beloyarsk NPP is now one step closer to implementation of the strategic direction for the development of the nuclear industry - the creation of a new technological platform based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle,” said Ivan Sidorov, Director of the Beloyarsk NPP. “The use of mox fuel will make it possible to involve in fuel manufacture the isotope of uranium that is not currently used. This will increase the fuel base of the nuclear power industry tenfold. In addition, the BN-800 reactor can reuse used nuclear fuel from other NPPs and minimise radioactive waste by “afterburning” long-lived isotopes from them. Taking into account the planned schedule, we will be able to switch to a core with a full load of mox fuel in 2022.”

The fuel assemblies were manufactured at the Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC, Zheleznogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory). Unlike enriched uranium, which is traditional for nuclear power, the raw materials for the production of mox fuel pellets are plutonium oxide produced in power reactors and depleted uranium oxide (obtained by defluorination of depleted uranium hexafluoride - DUHF, the secondary "tailings" of the enrichment plant.

“In parallel with loading the BN-800 core with mox fuel, Rosatom specialists are continuing to develop technologies for the production of such fuel at the MCC,” said Alexander Ugryumov, vice president for research, development and quality at TVEL. “In particular, the production of fresh fuel using high-background plutonium extracted from the irradiated fuel of VVER reactors has been mastered: all technological operations are fully automated and are performed without the presence of personnel in the immediate vicinity. The first 20 mox-FAs incorporating high-background plutonium have already been manufactured and passed acceptance tests, and they are planned to be loaded in 2022. Advanced technologies for recycling nuclear materials and refabrication of nuclear fuel in the future will make it possible to process irradiated fuel instead of storing it, as well as to reduce the amount of high-level waste generated.”

Serial production of mox fuel began at the end of 2018 at MCC. To achieve this, broad industry cooperation was organised under the coordination and scientific leadership of TVEL, which supplies the mox-fuel to Beloyarsk NPP. Initially, the BN-800 reactor was launched with a hybrid core, partly equipped with uranium fuel produced by Mashinostroitelny Zavod in Elektrostal (Moscow Region), and partly with experimental mox assemblies manufactured at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (NIIAR) in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk region).

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business continuity plan power outage

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  1. Business Continuity and Recovery Planning for Power Outages

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  2. (PDF) Power Outage, Business Continuity and Businesses' Choices of

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  3. 15 Power Outage Tips for Small Businesses

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  5. Infosec: Business Continuity Plan

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  6. Business Continuity and Recovery Planning for Power Outages

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  1. Business Continuity Plan

COMMENTS

  1. Make a power outage business continuity plan with these tips

    A power outage business continuity plan must be included in an organization's incident response protocols. Organizations can also take various measures to minimize the likelihood of power outages, such as infrastructure testing and ensuring ample backup power supply access.

  2. PDF Ready Business Power Outage Toolkit

    After you have identified the potential power outage risks and determined the possible impacts on your organization, create a Preparedness and Mitigation Project Plan and decide which solutions you will use to reduce risks. The Preparedness and Mitigation Project Plan will support the business continuity planning and readiness process,

  3. How Your Business Can Survive a Power Outage

    A business continuity plan is key if you're to survive an unexpected business power outage. This continuity plan can serve you in any unexpected emergency — like a hurricane or a flood. Think of a business continuity plan as a big "what if" scenario. Talk it through with employees.

  4. What To Do When the Power Goes Out: A Guide to Business Continuity Planning

    Business Continuity Planning: how to maintain operations when there's an outage, malfunction, or loss. As you can see, disaster recovery is how you move on after an unexpected event that results in damage, but BCP is how to continue and protect against loss.

  5. Navigating Power Outages: A Guide to Business Continuity

    Begin with a comprehensive assessment of your business's vulnerability to power outages. Identify critical operations and the systems that support them. Understand how a power failure could affect these areas and evaluate the potential financial and operational impacts. This step helps prioritize the protection of essential functions and data.

  6. Steps for creating a power outage business continuity plan

    What is a power outage business continuity plan? A power outage business continuity plan is a document that outlines how your business will continue to operate in the event of a power outage. It includes procedures for everything from backup power generation to customer communication.

  7. Power Outage Emergency Response Plan for Business [+Template]

    With a power outage emergency response plan, you can mitigate these disruptions and keep your organization moving. GET THE TEMPLATE Every year, the U.S. electrical grid experiences thousands of interruptions that cut off service to customers, including many businesses that rely on the grid to continue operations.

  8. How to Minimize Business Disruption from Power Outages

    A business continuity plan outlines how your business will remain operational, and how employees will be protected during a power outage or other disaster. When creating a plan, it's best to take a committee approach that identifies potential risks, determines how those risks will impact operations, and defines the procedures needed to ...

  9. Tips for Making a Power Outage Business Continuity Plan

    A power outage business continuity plan must be included in an organization's incident response protocols. Organizations can also take various measures to minimize the likelihood of power outages, such as infrastructure testing and ensuring ample backup power supply access.

  10. Power Outage Ready Business Toolkit

    Power Outage Ready Business Toolkit. The Ready Business Program for Power Outage allows users to take action to protect employees, protect customers, and help ensure business continuity due to power failures. Last Updated: 04/07/2020.

  11. Power Outage Procedures For Businesses

    January 30, 2023 In an era where reliance on electricity has never been more critical, even a momentary blip in power can trigger serious ― and extremely expensive ― consequences for your business. From equipment damage to data loss to wounded reputation, the effects of downtime can take a significant toll on any organization.

  12. Critical Power Solutions: Ensuring Business Continuity in Power Outages

    An essential aspect of safeguarding your business is developing a robust power outage plan to ensure business continuity. This plan should incorporate the deployment of reliable UPS systems, emergency power sources, and clear protocols for responding to power disruptions. UPS Systems: The First Line of Defense. A core component of our solutions ...

  13. Extended Power Outages Require Business Continuity Planning

    In the event of an extended power outage, a business continuity plan should identify recovery time objectives for the following concepts: Supply Chain: Pre-selected alternate resources to ensure consistent delivery and continued operations in the event primary suppliers are not able to provide required services.

  14. PDF THE BUSINESS GUIDE TO POWER OUTAGES

    Outages cost American businesses as much as $150 billion per year, according to the US Department of Energy (DOE) WHY POWER OUTAGES HAPPEN According to a 2014 report from research firm Climate Central, weather caused 80 percent of all US power outages between 2003-2012.

  15. Power Outage, Business Continuity and Businesses' Choices of Power

    Thus, reducing the impacts of power outage has become a key agenda in business continuity planning. Back-up or stand-by generators are among the most well known measures taken by power...

  16. Add Power Outages To Your Business Continuity Plan

    10 December 2021 Adding power outages to your business continuity plan is a critical step in ensuring your company's survival during an emergency. Critical power solutions such as emergency generators and uninterruptible power supplies can help keep your business running during power cuts, storms, blackouts, and more.

  17. Power Outage Emergency Response Plan for Business [+Template]

    Keep your business relocating with a efficiency loss urgency response plan. Power outages canned be devastating, but they don't have the slowly you down. ... Keep get business moving with a power outage emergency response plan. Products. Products. Mass Notification. This industry's most natural emergency communication explanation.

  18. Business Continuity and Recovery Planning for Power Outages

    Business Continuity and Recovery Planning (BCRP) is an ARC Best Practice- based strategy for minimizing downtime and lost productivity during unexpected business interruptions like the recent power outages in the northeastern United States and Great Britain.

  19. PDF Preparing for Power Outages

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