Extended heat waves and powerful storms with heavy rain, snow, ice and wind have the potential to bring blackouts and emergency conditions every year. Having a plan in place to protect your business in case of the unexpected is an operational necessity for a broad variety of industries.
If you’re deciding whether or not to invest in contingency planning for temporary power, consider the following benefits of advanced planning for power blackouts.
Productivity
Where would your business be without a continuous, reliable source of power? When a weather event or system overload takes down the local power grid, it leads to a loss of work hours and halted productivity. A contingency plan ensures you have the power systems in place capable of providing the electricity required to operate at full capacity.
Rather than stopping in their tracks, employees will have a clear understanding of what’s going on and what they need to do to perform their jobs without interruption.
Safety
An unexpected power outage often results in a hectic situation that poses countless dangers and hazards to your employees, customers and valuable assets. Your team needs a plan to follow when there’s a disruption to the electric supply that includes how to operate backup equipment, safety checklists and detailed procedures for a variety of possible situations and outcomes.
Not having a plan leaves the safety of your facility to chance and opens your business up to potential accident-related liabilities.
Readiness
Whether you operate a commercial construction company, healthcare facility or any other business that requires an uninterrupted source of power, it’s not an option to stop running for a while. During an emergency is not the time to go out shopping for a backup generator or related power equipment. Even if you already own a new standby system, planning for a blackout includes testing to ensure it can keep your entire facility operating as it would with utility-supplied power.
A comprehensive plan also accounts for things like needing additional equipment, generator service issues and many other variables.
Costs
Making a relatively small investment at the right time can ultimately save your business a lot of money down the road. Developing a plan for electrical blackouts may involve upfront costs relating to buying or renting equipment, parts, tools and accessories, training your team and contracting expert support from a reliable service provider. However, these measures can help you avoid multiple days of downtime, extensive property and equipment damages, clean-up expenses, regulatory fines and legal issues. There’s always a price for peace of mind, and in this case the solution pays for itself many times over.
Don’t leave the future of your business in Mother Nature’s hands. Michigan CAT is an authorized Cat® dealer offering full-service contingency planning in case of a power outage. Visit us online to learn more about planning for temporary power or stop by one of our convenient locations to speak to a live representative.