Nowadays, most businesses fully rely on electricity and can’t even imagine operating otherwise. And if you are a newbie business entrepreneur or planning to start a business soon, you must be aware of the different issues your business can face in the long run. One such serious challenge is power cuts. Yes, without a doubt, power cuts can prove costly and seriously impact your business.
While power cuts aren’t in your control, several ways are there to mitigate or lessen their impacts. In persuasion, here we have listed the expert power cut safety measures to ensure that your small business keeps running even during a power cut.
Table of Contents
Powercut safety measures for small businesses
Keep a professional electrician on call.
Most businesses rely on the internet, and a power cut can slow down this process. Thus, it is vital to have an emergency electrician on call to tackle the problem. An electrician is even more helpful when a power cut is due to an internal issue like a burnt fuse. The sooner the problem is fixed, the sooner your business will be back on track.
However, consider hiring only a professional electrician to check and fix the issue. Further, check online directories to maintain a list of emergency service providers in your locality. For example, if you are a Melbourne-located business, an emergency electrician Melbourne can save your business during power cuts.
Consider investing in surge protection.
A thunderstorm can cause serious surges or sudden high voltages, which, if left unchecked, severely damage your equipment. You may have to replace computers or other equipment after the accidents. So, if you own a business in or around a monsoon environment, investing in good surge protection is mandatory. This is a great way to reduce the cost of future damages.
Invest in setting up a UPS
All the important files or data must be backed up regularly to prevent losing them during a power cut. If the data weren’t backed up, investing in a UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) is a great way to ensure that your employees get enough time to save all important files. In addition, setting up a UPS gives you more time to keep running your business. It even gives warning signals to switch off the machinery in time than to do the same in a hurry.
Invest in a backup power source
The next measure is to consider investing in your backup power source on which your small business can completely rely at times of power cuts. One such environmentally friendly and safe option is solar generators.
However, you must do extensive research before investing in solar generators, as their installation can be a bit costlier for small businesses. In addition, while some battery-operated generators can be functional at night, others aren’t of any use at night time, especially if you own a mass-producing business mostly active at night.
Allow your employees to work from home.
You can consider allowing your workforce to operate from their homes if it’s mostly an office-based business. However, you need extensive research to understand the requirements, procedures, and if this setup could cost you more ahead of time.
Invest in power generators
For sure not as environmentally friendly as a solar generator, but it is still a great way to overcome a disastrous power cut. It becomes even more useful when you buy a generator than rent. You will save thousands of dollars on renting whale beings, ensuring that your business runs smoothly and efficiently even during a power cut.
There are some safety measures to practice if you invest in a power generator, such as:
- Make sure the area is well-ventilated when using a petrol generator
- Never plug a generator directly into the power outlet; use a surge or stabilizer
- Never use a generator when wet or hot
If you have a fixed budget, a solar generator would be ideal for you until the power cut is fixed.
Invest in windmills
Small businesses could even think about investing in windmills which is an environmentally friendly alternative. It is a great option however, owners need to have a dedicated space or land to set it up. Otherwise, if a business is located in the city and you aren’t the owner of the land, you will have to think twice about it.
A windmill is a specialized structured setup that converts wind energy to rotational energy with the help of blades. It was an extensively used structure in previous centuries to generate heat, pump water, or mill grain. Still, countries like Denmark, Wales, England, and Norway utilize these structures to generate a good amount of electricity for their citizens and businesses. So, you can give it a shot!
Train the employees extensively
At times you might not be around during power cuts. And all you are left with is to worry about electrical emergencies while you are away. Those times make it mandatory to train your employees extensively. They should be able to take important decisions regarding what to do and what not to do during a power cut. For instance, your employees should be aware of the steps to restore power during a power cut. So, you need to train your employees properly concerning the procedures and steps needed to be followed during emergencies.
Invest in emergency kits
No matter how trained your manpower is, investing in an easily accessible and readily available emergency kit is a crucial safety measure. Keep in mind to stock it up with everything that is needed during a power cut such as flashlights, ropes, first-aid boxes, emergency water, and others. Additionally, give proper training to your employees on how and where to utilize all these items.
Endnote
Considering the usefulness of the powercut safety measures, investing in one or some of such measures is vital for small businesses. These are a great way to ensure a business keeps running despite all ordeals.
However, once the issue is resolved, it is important to inspect equipment and other machinery for faults or damages. Also, take out time to check if the business has lost any crucial data during the power cut. Next, research ways to deal with such situations and to be prepared in the future for such disastrous events.