Power failures
MANAGEMENT
Like any other part of the infrastructure, electrical power to the
campus can fail, either as an isolated incident or as part of a larger
emergency. Planning for power failures and knowing what to do
when they occur can keep the incident from creating a disaster for
your research, business operations and possibly you. This
document provides tips you can use to be prepared and should be read
in conjunction with your department's "Critical Operations
Operating Procedures - Resource Failure".
Preparing for a Power Outage
Designate an emergency contact person for your work area who can be
reached 24 hours a day. This person should be knowledgeable about
all your work areas major operations.
After hours contact details for both the
Contact Person and the Chief Safety Warden
should be maintained.
Ensure up to date details are held by
Campus Security
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Put essential equipment on emergency power circuits. Contact your
Campus Property Services to find out what emergency power your building
has available. Some buildings may have provision for access to emergency
back-up generators. These units will usually serve critical functions
such as emergency lighting and other essential services. Property
Services manages and maintains these generators, along with a small number
of portable units that may be available to keep critical operations going
during power interruptions.
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Make a list of equipment that must be reset or restarted. Keep instructions
for doing so in a nearby location. Equipment that operates unattended
should be shut down safely during power failure and not left to restart
automatically when power returns.
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Provide emergency lights for interior work areas. Outlet mounted
and hand-held emergency flashlights are very useful in rooms without windows
or areas where work is conducted at night or where there is insufficient
natural lighting.
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Make sure that all fume hoods have a physical, non electrical indicator
to show if they are running. This could be as simple as a strip of
hanging tissue paper that will flutter when the fume hood is running.
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Flammable materials must not be stored in domestic refrigerators because
their vapours may cause an explosion.
Back up your computer files regularly so as not to lose data when the
power goes off suddenly. Use an uninterruptible power supply for
critical machines such as servers.
While
the Power is OFF
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Shut down experiments that can be run again when power (and safety equipment)
is available.
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Make sure that any experiments that must continue running are not creating
uncontrolled hazards such as dangerous vapours in a non-functioning fume
hood.
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Check and secure fume hoods. Stop any operations that may be emitting
hazardous vapours. Cap all chemical containers that are safe to cap,
then close the fume hood sashes. Leave the room if you notice ant
odours or physical symptoms.
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Check equipment on emergency power. It may take 20-30 seconds for
the emergency power to kick in. Items not permanently connected to
these outlets should not be connected during the power interruption.
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Disconnect equipment that runs unattended, and turn off unnecessary lights
and equipment. This will reduce the risk of power surges and other
unforeseen damage or injury that could result when the power comes on unexpectedly.
Check items stored in cold rooms and refrigerators. You may need
to transfer vulnerable items to equipment served by emergency power.
When
the Power Returns
Reset / restart / check equipment. In particular, check that
the air flow on your fume hood has been restored. If your fume hood
has not automatically re-started, notify Property Services. Keep
sashes closed, and do not use the hood until the ventilation system is
working again.
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