Power outages in your office building or storefront can cause problems beyond the immediate safety issues of being in the dark. Here is what to look for after a power outage in your business to ensure that more than just the lights are up and running again.
Check Your Digital Software
Once the rest of the business comes back to life and you know everyone’s safe, it’s important to make sure that none of your software or important documents were damaged by a power surge. If any important files were open at the time, there is a chance they are now corrupted or damaged. Surge protectors are a worthwhile investment for this reason.
If any checkout or payment processing software was interrupted by the power outage, you will want to keep an eye on the charges to make sure the system isn’t malfunctioning and multiplying transactions. If you do notice this, it’s important to reach out to your payment processor as soon as possible.
Test Automatic and Emergency Equipment
After a power outage, take the time to test that alarms and smoke or CO2 detectors are all functional. If any of these were damaged from the power outage, they need repairs or replacement as soon as possible.
Another place to check is your exits and entryways. Emergency signage may struggle to turn back on after a power outage. Automatic doorway failure can also turn into an incredible inconvenience and potential safety hazard for your employees and customers. Ensuring that these devices are functional now means knowing they do their job when needed later.
Look for Losses
Most workplaces won’t see much loss during a power outage beyond lost time. However, if your small business serves food or carries other goods that require electricity to be secure and preserved, you will need to begin looking for losses the moment the lights come back on.
Small outages are less likely to be an issue, but if the outage is long-term, you may need to dispose of large quantities of ruined product.
One of the most important things to look for after a power outage in your business is who handled the situation best and how they did it. Leaders and helpers appear during times of crisis, and these people can be real assets to you as you develop your plan for successfully getting through the next power outage.
