It is important to remember that some equipment cannot be turned off and certain other pieces of equipment do not shut themselves off when there is a power outage. Pre-plan specific procedures for your laboratory while adhering to the following when dealing with possible power outages:
Laboratory Power Outage Plan
Before the Power Fails
- Designate an emergency contact person for your lab. This person should be available for contact 24 hours a day.
- Give the contact's information to your Area Safety Coordinator.
- Post emergency contact phone numbers on the lab safety sign in the hallway outside your lab.
- Equip your emergency/spill kit with a battery powered flashlight.
- Do not leave open chemicals in the fume hood when the fume hood is unattended. Always safely store chemicals after use.
- Put essential equipment on emergency power circuits. These circuits have red cover plates and are powered by an emergency generator at each lab building.
- Install appropriately-sized surge protection devices for all sensitive or expensive electronics.
- Install an uninterruptible power source (ups) or other backup electrical systems or equipment if needed.
- Make a list of equipment that must be reset, reprogrammed, restarted, or recalibrated once power returns.
- Post the list in a conspicuous place.
- Program equipment that operates unattended to shut down safely during a power failure and not restart automatically when power returns.
- Identify an emergency source of dry ice, if you have items that must be kept cold.
- Note: Refrigerators and freezers will maintain their temperature for several hours if they are not opened.
- Do not use dry ice in walk-in refrigerators or other confined areas.
While the Power is Off
- Shut down experiments that involve hazardous materials.
- Make sure experiments are stable and won't create uncontrolled hazards.
- Check fume hoods and biosafety cabinets and take the following precautions, if applicable:
- Stop any operations that may be emitting hazardous vapors, fumes, or infectious agents.
- Securely cap any open containers.
- Close fume hood and biosafety cabinet sashes.
- Check equipment on emergency power to ensure it's running properly.
- Note: It may take 20 to 30 seconds for emergency power to activate after a power failure.
- Reduce electrical use and risk of power surges by:
- Disconnecting from emergency outlets equipment that runs unattended, and
- Turning off unnecessary lights and equipment.
- Transfer vulnerable items from cold rooms and refrigerators that have lost power to equipment served by emergency power.
When the Power Returns
- Shut down experiments that involve hazardous materials.
- Make sure experiments are stable and won't create uncontrolled hazards.
- Check fume hoods and biosafety cabinets and take the following precautions, if applicable:
- Stop any operations that may be emitting hazardous vapors, fumes, or infectious agents.
- Securely cap any open containers.
- Close fume hood and biosafety cabinet sashes.
- Check equipment on emergency power to ensure it's running properly.
- Note: It may take 20 to 30 seconds for emergency power to activate after a power failure.
- Reduce electrical use and risk of power surges by:
- Disconnecting from emergency outlets equipment that runs unattended, and
- Turning off unnecessary lights and equipment.
- Transfer vulnerable items from cold rooms and refrigerators that have lost power to equipment served by emergency power.
For more information about what E-Control Systems can do for your lab take a look at our Life Science solutions.
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