Utility Failure Excercise

Before:

• Understand how different utility failures may affect your area of work.

• Identify critical electronics and ensure they are connected to emergency power if available.

• Identify workarounds for various types of IT outages.

During:

• In the event of a power failure:

  • Establish if the power failure is local (a single building or less). 

  • Use flashlights, never candles.

  • Ensure that critical electronics are connected to emergency power if possible.

  • Relocate to a building with power if possible. For clinical staff, follow your department’s power failure procedures to ensure continuity of patient care.

  • Inspect critical electronics on emergency power regularly during the outage.

• In the event of a water failure:

  • Do not use city water if possible.

  • Follow all boil water advisories issued by the local water agency or public officials.

• In the event of a sewer failure:

  • Do not use or flush toilets.

  • Do not use or consume city water if possible.

  • Close nearby public bathrooms.

After: