8 Ways to Prepare Your Office for a Mass Power Outage

by Julia Kicinski

That moment the power goes out in the office usually takes everyone by surprise. Everything suddenly goes dark: overhead lights, computer screens, even that annoying flashing red power light on the printer. The silence left behind when equipment stops running is quickly replaced by a collective groan of disbelief that spreads across the room. With how much our offices depend on electricity for daily operation and safety, power failures can feel catastrophic, but they don't need to be! Here's a short list of actions you can take to prepare your office for an unexpected power outage.

1. Install Emergency Lighting

Navigation in the dark can be quite hazardous, with staff members bumping into desks or catching their feet on a forgotten step. Your employees' safety in the event of a power outage is your first priority, and installing battery-powered emergency lights will immediately make a darkened building much safer and easier to navigate. Install emergency lights in all common areas, but especially in hallways and interior rooms with limited access to natural light. You could even store a strong flashlight at each employee's desk if your office space gets unreasonably dark without overhead lighting.

2. Design an Evacuation-Friendly Layout

Your power can go out for many reasons; in the case of an emergency situation like severe weather, your employees may need to evacuate the building. Designing your office space with a predictable layout and carefully positioned decor can help people find their way out of a building in limited lighting without running into any safety hazards like a poorly placed coffee table or low-hanging potted plant. Directionals posted at intersections and stairways can also prevent staff from getting disoriented in the dark. For employees unable to evacuate due to mobility issues, directionals can guide the way to designated areas of refuge.

3. Post Clear Wayfinding Signage

Speaking of evacuation, you can map a convenient exit route with clear wayfinding signage. In addition to directionals, photoluminescent signs—often marked by a green running man symbol—can point the way to the nearest emergency exit, simplifying the evacuation process. These exit arrows glow in the dark, which aids in navigation with limited lighting. Strategically placed evacuation plans and NFPA signs indicating floor levels inside stairwells are also handy navigational aids for employees accustomed to taking the elevator and unfamiliar with alternate routes out of the building.

4. Prepare Manual Building Access

Just like it's habit to flip on a light switch when you enter a room—even when you're fully aware that the power isn't working—it's also habit in many offices to swipe a badge for everything from clocking in to unlocking doors. It's easy to forget that these simple functions may not work without a source of backup power. Make sure to have a plan in place to manually operate these types of features; otherwise, you might end up with an employee accidentally locked in or outside of a building!

5. Provide Emergency Power Sources

Nobody wants to lose their work or drop a phone call with a customer when the power suddenly becomes unreliable. A brownout—when power voltage lowers without a full outage—can cause preventable interruptions to equipment. Battery backups for your office servers and workstations can offer your employees the valuable extra time they need to save their projects, reach a convenient stopping point, and even properly shut down their equipment to protect it from persistent power issues if necessary. You might even buy enough time for that one music-enthused employee to finish the song they were listening to!

6. Install Surge Protectors

Keep that cheer filling the office when the power comes back on from reverting back to a groan when somebody discovers an unresponsive computer. The last thing you want is for your equipment to get fried by an unexpected power surge or spike. These bouts of increased voltage can be caused for a variety of reasons, including the power getting turned back on and nearby lightning strikes. Invest in high-quality surge protectors to protect your valuable equipment like computers in office areas and TVs and other presentation aids in conference rooms.

7. Assess Electricity Needs Before a Power Failure

You'll be thanking yourself later if you take the time to assess your office's minimum power needs before an outage occurs. Obviously, to run your office during an outage, you'll need essential equipment like computers and phones, but that hand drier in the bathroom is unfortunately not essential, although it is convenient. Power usage when regulating temperatures could be reduced by investing in an efficient HVAC unit. Likewise, LED lighting is more energy-efficient than fluorescent or incandescent bulbs. You could even temporarily eliminate the need for electric lighting altogether by allowing natural light into the office space through any available windows.

8. Invest in a Backup Generator

Don't allow a full outage in a non-emergency situation to shut you down! In the case of a brief power failure caused by events like utility work or animal interference—often a fault on a power line that is quickly fixed—a backup generator will keep your office temporarily up and running. If you've already calculated the minimum energy needs of your office, you can make sure that you install a generator with the capacity to supply adequate power. Perform regular maintenance and keep fuel stocked to keep your generator in tiptop shape and ready for use.

Depending on the reason for the power failure, you may have to decide whether or not your office will remain running on that particular day. Set up a good communication system with your employees ahead of time—emails, training, evacuation plans, etc.—so they're aware of proper procedure in either case; this preparation will help keep any potential emergency situations and evacuations flowing smoothly and safely. If you need help designing evacuation plans and determining where to post appropriate signage, contact signmojo.com for assistance. When you take appropriate precautionary measures, your office will be well equipped to protect both your employees and your equipment while continuing to provide excellent service to your customers.