Make sure you know the location of your meter room and electric service entrance.
If your building has fuses, know their location and ratings.
Consider installing an emergency lighting system in your meter room.
Have a portable lamp or flashlight and batteries readily available.
KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT
Prepare a list of equipment that will need to be turned off during an outage and then reset when power is restored.
Contact other service providers (phone, security, fire, etc.) for information on how those systems will work during and after an outage.
If you have three-phase equipment, install a protection device and know how to reset it after an outage has occurred.
HAVE A PLAN
Develop a preparedness plan outlining the operational tasks and responsibilities for your staff.
Identify your needs for backup electrical generation and battery (Uninterruptible Power Supply) systems.
Test your backup battery systems, emergency lighting, phone, security and fire protection systems regularly.
Compile a list of emergency telephone numbers. Use our outage plan for businesses checklist to create a customized plan for your business.
Prepare an emergency kit and store it in an easy-to-find location.
PREPARE YOUR EMPLOYEES
Make sure your employees know what their responsibilities are during a power outage.
Ensure that they have access to your site location identification number (SLID) so they can report an outage to BC Hydro if you're not available.
DURING AN OUTAGE
Determine whether the problem is limited to your building or electrical system by checking neighbouring buildings and businesses. Also, use a mobile device to check the current power outages.
If your outage isn’t listed, report the outage by calling 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your mobile.
Implement your outage preparedness plan.
Turn off equipment and appliances, including computers and laptops, especially those that generate heat. This helps prevent equipment damage when power is restored.
When power is restored, first turn on the most essential equipment. Wait 10 to 15 minutes before reconnecting other equipment to avoid overloading the electrical system and give the system a chance to stabilize.
