Power Post

Planning ahead for an emergency can be challenging but ESL is here to help make things easier with our line of UL 1008 Listed Emergency Power Products. Our manual transfer switches and tap boxes ensure a quick, safe generator hook-up and operation for any building and ensure time without power is minimal. There are countless things to consider when planning for the worst case scenario however; the potential for loss of power should be a top priority when trying to keep business continuity intact.

Contingency Planning

A contingency plan is a course of action designed to help an organization respond effectively to a significantly disruptive event or situation.

As businesses have become more reliant on immediate availability, the tolerance for downtime has decreased. A disaster can have devastating effects on a business because of this mind set. Having a contingency plan is a key component of business continuity, disaster recovery, and risk management.

Common Steps for a Contingency Plan Include:

1. Perform a risk analysis. Determine what risks are most likely to occur for your business. Is your organization likely to experience natural disasters such as hurricanes or floods?
2. Identify possible scenarios. Detail what could happen if major risks were to occur.
3. Conduct a business impact analysis. Determine which of an organization’s functions are essential.
4. Find ways to reduce the risk. It’s not enough to develop the plan; you need to take steps to improve preventative strategies. For example, you may realize you need special insurance, need a data back-up system or an emergency generator for power. Devise a plan for each scenario.
5. Develop a contingency plan policy statement. This will include overview and main goals of the plan. Communicate the plan to all employees and provide personnel the proper training to improve plan effectiveness and overall organization preparedness.
6. Test the plan. The testing should include short-term shutdowns in critical areas done in real time to ensure the plan goes as expected.
7. Ensure plan maintenance. The plan should be a living document that is updated regularly to remain current with system improvements and organizational changes.

Preparing for a disaster requires an all-inclusive approach that covers facility equipment, power, connectivity, and testing.  This will ensure recovery is achieved within a targeted time frame. The goal is always to re-establish full function to the organization as quickly and smoothly as possible.

The Cost:

There are a wide range of disasters, natural and otherwise, that lead to recovery situations. Certain types of disaster may seem unlikely, but it is important to recognize probabilities and plan ahead.

Reduce the risk of power outages and ensure you have back up power when you need it. Installing a manual transfer switch in conjunction with a portable power generator is an economic solution to help minimize downtime during emergency power loss.

While implementing a thorough plan is no small task, the potential benefits of being proactive are significant.

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To learn more about ESL and our emergency power product line, visit www.eslpwr.com/emergency-power where you can download specifications, read recently published case studies and articles, and watch our short demo videos.