For manufacturers and metalworkers, a power outage is a direct threat to productivity, profitability, and equipment integrity.
To manage a complex supply chain and meet tight deadlines, maintaining consistent uptime is essential. Learn how to prepare a facility before a shutdown occurs.
Why Businesses Need Power Outage Protection
A stable electrical grid can make or break a business. The price tag of power outages continues to grow annually in the U.S., hitting $38.9 billion in single-state figures in 2024.
With a continuous flow over the grid, facilities can remain productive and secure no matter what the state of the grid is. The benefits of outage protection are:
- Stable flow of production: Powering over the conditions on the grid means production lines can maintain flow and continue to hit quotas and reach revenue targets.
- Protecting sensitive machines. Cycle protective devices keep sensitive computer-controlled equipment safe from damaging voltage fluctuations and unexpected shutdown.
- Supply chain protection. Constant power means the facility remains a reliable link for partners and customers.
- Helps keep workers safe: Constant energy on the line means that safety systems such as emergency lighting or venting for welding fumes are kept operational.
- Foundation for the future: Constant access to energy means those looking to invest in you are comfortable with the entity when making major decisions.
Common Causes of Power Grid Failures
Electrical reliability depends on a complex interconnection of devices that are under constant strain from the elements and other mechanical stresses. Severe weather is the primary source of most interruptions. For example, hurricanes in 2024 caused more than 11 hours of power outage across the U.S.
Other contributors abound beyond the weather. The natural wearing out of transformers and transmission lines, and local substation failures, cut the power. Problems with high-voltage lines can cause disruptions. High-demand strains on systems may be enough to push the grid to its breaking point.
Crash into a utility pole or electrical wires (including downed trees or wildlife), and the utility’s primary power lines are severed.
The Impacts of Power Outages
During a blackout, the consequences extend broadly. Without a plan, a power outage will affect every facet of the business. Downtime results in a direct loss of output, and partially machined parts may become scrap. Power surges may also fry circuit boards, motors and other electronics.
One shutdown can cause delays downstream. If IT infrastructure is compromised, manufacturers risk losing production data that requires extensive downtime to restore. This further extends the shutdown time. The failure to deliver manufactured parts or goods on time can lead to contractual issues and erode a brand’s professional standing.
What to do Before and During an Outage
Preparedness is the strongest defense against electrical instability. Business owners can create a plan for a blackout.
Building an Emergency Plan
Having a game plan is how you ensure everyone knows what to do when the grid blows. An emergency plan might involve:
- A power outage response team. An incident commander, energy leader, IT pro, communications coordinator, and emergency wardens should be identified.
- Developing a communication tree. Protocols for sharing information with employees, key clients, and suppliers (whose reactions can help the word spread).
- Backup critical data. Back it up automatically and have a schedule for off-site storage; an on-site online backup is a must, too.
- Identify critical equipment. Which machines need power back on first?
- Mapping the power system of the facility. “Electrical schematics need to be on hand,” ICE says.
- Build a physical emergency kit. “Flashlights, flashlight batteries, first-aid supplies, battery-powered radios, safety whistles, emergency blankets, N95 respirators, a utility knife and duct tape, ICE suggests.
- Maintaining an emergency contact list. Keeping printed copies handy of utility company contacts, electricians, etc., is a good move.
- Plan for access and security of the building. “How you manually manage who can get in and who has access to what when the cards aren’t working is good security practice,” says ICE.
- Have regular drills. “Pick a day you do this annually, and gauge how in-tune the staff is with the plan,” says ICE.
Staying Safe During a Blackout
When the power is lost, maintaining a secure environment remains the top priority. Following established safety protocols protects the workforce and the facility’s assets.
Management should confirm that all staff members are safe and accounted for after a power failure. Employees should use flashlights to navigate the facility and treat every downed wire as live and maintain a wide perimeter to prevent electrical accidents.
Powering down equipment and machinery is a crucial step. Manufacturing teams should unplug computers, CNC controllers and electronic shields to protect them from power surges during restoration. If a warning is provided, always follow proper shutdown procedures for machinery to avoid mechanical damage.
When using a portable power generator, operate it outdoors, far from windows or air intakes, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Additionally, locking all doors and manually managing access ensures the premises remain protected, even when security systems are down.
Renting vs. Owning a Generator
One way to avoid interruption completely is to rent or purchase a generator. Deciding whether to rent or own a generator depends on the company’s needs, budget and facility size.
Ownership provides the peace of mind of a permanent, on-site asset. Diesel generators offer long-lasting power that can handle heavy industrial loads from welding equipment and CNC machines. While owning a generator is a long-term investment in a business’s independence, it comes with a high up-front cost.
Renting offers maximum flexibility with minimal initial costs. This solution effectively serves specific projects, seasonal demands and emergency action plans. With a rental generator, experts handle all maintenance and service tasks.
For manufacturers that choose to rent, it’s important they find trustworthy providers. Otherwise, they may receive subpar equipment or late deliveries. One quality option would be Thompson Power Systems, which provides large, towable industrial generators that can be quickly deployed to any location requiring support.
Whether a facility requires a permanent Cat® generator or a flexible rental unit, Thompson Power Systems provides the trustworthy guidance needed to protect business productivity.
How to Get Back to Business After an Outage
Power outage safety continues when the blackout passes. After the lights come back on, a company can follow these steps to restore all operations.
Safely Restoring Power Systems
Resuming operations requires a methodical approach to ensure personnel and equipment safety. Rushing to restart the process could lead to unnecessary strain on electrical components. A structured restoration plan includes:
- Waiting for stable power: Waiting a few minutes after power returns helps stabilize the utility grid. This avoids power cycling that could ruin machinery.
- Conducting a visual inspection: A floor walk allows inspection of machinery and electrical panels for any signs of damage.
- Throwing away food: Manufacturing plants with a lunchroom should discard any food left in the fridge for more than four hours without power.
- Staggering startups: Bringing systems online one at a time can prevent power surges.
- Starting with building systems: HVAC and lighting should be operational first.
- Prioritizing critical machinery: After HVAC and lighting systems, essential production units should be returned to service based on predefined priority lists.
- Verifying calibrations: Precision equipment, such as CNC machines, requires calibration checks before production resumes.
- Restoring IT and network systems: Servers and networks are brought back online.
- Testing safety systems: Confirming that alarms and emergency stops function.
- Documenting the outage: Record the duration and impact.
- Briefing the team: A short meeting communicates the restart of the workday.
Restocking Emergency Supplies
Once everything has settled down, restock provisions so that your facility is ready if the power goes out again. This upkeep includes putting gas in the generator so it’s prepared for the next round of blackouts and contacting a company to send in a worker for generator maintenance to determine if there are any potential issues.
Teams that used portions of the emergency kit should check their supplies for other “contaminants” as well, and verify that batteries in their flashlights and radios are still good. We should ensure all fire extinguishers are operational.
Depending on how much of the emergency plan was even efficiently executed in the first outage, we may need to reflect on and correct gaps in it for the next one. Was the communication protocol clear? Is your backup power generator showing its age? After reviewing these types of questions, we can update lists and refresh contact numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some common questions to think about when wanting information surrounding your backup power planning.
What size generator does my manufacturing plant need?
The best way to know is through a professional load assessment. This is a more in-depth analysis done by the experts for a building to determine its true heating, cooling, and electrical requirements. This way you avoid guesswork and incorrect purchases.
What maintenance does an industrial generator require?
So that it will start when the time comes, generators require regular service, including battery testing, checking fluids, load-banking testing, and other maintenance. Typically, this is included in your generator rental agreement.
How to prepare for 72 hours without power in a commercial facility?
Installing back-up power is obviously crucial. Commercial generator installation, fuel management, Uninterruptible Power Supply systems, sizing up circuits that need proper power, and so on. Food, water, first-aid, and lighting for employees are also key, and communication at all times, of course, is paramount.
Businesses Can Stay Safe During a Power Outage
Securing a location from electrical problems is necessary for good industrial management.
A forward-looking policy regarding backup power puts a buffer between you and your equipment, helps your production on schedule, and makes for a safer working force. Buy Power Security today for years of stable rewards.