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4 Consequences of Neglecting a Secondary Power Source.
If we consider our own homes, the value of one candle during an evening power cut is significantly higher than at any other time. Because of this, it’s often easy to store them away in an obscure place in the home, only to regret this immediately in a time of need.
In our home, being able to see in the dark is comforting, but when we think about the same issue in the context of a hospital where the immediate availability of a secondary power source can quite literally mean the difference between life and death, we see that it goes much further than comfort.
Every organisation needs contingency planning, and that means examining every eventuality for possible outcomes.
But What Could Potentially Go Wrong?
- Serious Injury & Death
Of course the most serious consequence is injury or loss of life, and it’s a very real possibility. In the case of a hospital, a power failure in theatre during a critical phase of surgery relies on the secondary power source being able to take over (and to do so effectively). Any failure to do so will render all equipment reliant on power nothing more than useless.
- Loss of Productivity and Additional Costs
On the construction site, the workforce is only efficient when the tools they require are functioning. Loss of power can very easily put the workforce into a situation where their time on site (for which there’s a direct cost) generates zero output. An effective backup solution allows the workforce to continue working which has a clear effect on costs.
- Direct Loss of Customers
In a world reliant on uninterrupted access to the Internet, server equipment doesn’t have the luxury of downtime. In the case of a data centre on which many online-only businesses may host their websites, downtime directly translates into missed sales opportunities, an easily quantifiable statistic. The fluidity of the web means companies can easily move their digital assets to a competitor and so downtime due to lack of power is simply not acceptable.
- Reputation Damage
Power is something that’s taken for granted and in this modern era there are very few elements of our lives that function without a power source. Any organisation, building, company or office that has a persistent issue with power is open to warranted criticism. This can have an impact on everything from staff morale, health and safety compliance, efficiency and more.