How to Prepare Your Staff for a Power Outage

When the power goes out during a shift, staff look to whoever is in charge, and often that person has never been told what to do. Lights, tills, card readers, refrigeration, alarms and phones can all stop at once. A short power outage plan, practised once, turns a crisis into a routine.

Step One: Safety

Keep emergency lighting and torches charged and in known places
Stop using equipment that is unsafe without power (slicers, fryers, lifts)
Check that customers and staff can find exits
Check for anyone stuck in a lift and call for help if so

Step Two: Decide Whether to Stay Open

Write down who decides and on what basis. For example: if the outage is expected to last more than 30 minutes, or if card payments are down and you do not accept cash, close and tell customers clearly.

Step Three: Protect Stock

Keep fridge and freezer doors closed
Note the time the power went off
Know how long products stay safe without power according to your food safety plan
Check temperatures when power returns and log them
Discard anything that went outside safe limits

Step Four: Payments and Records

Know whether you can take cash, and keep a manual sales log
Know which card readers have battery or offline modes
Record any sales taken manually so they can be entered later

Step Five: Communication

Keep a printed list of emergency contacts: utility, landlord, alarm company, manager, owner
Know how to reach staff who are due on the next shift
Post a sign on the door if you close

Step Six: When Power Returns

Check equipment restarts correctly
Reset alarms and systems
Check refrigeration temperatures and log them
Review what went well and update the plan

Keep a Printed Copy

The plan should be on paper, near the till or in the office, because a plan that lives on a computer is no help in the dark.

This fits naturally into your emergency action plan for a small business and the winter weather preparedness checklist.

How MyTeamTasks Helps

In MyTeamTasks, the outage plan can be a checklist the manager on duty works through, temperature readings after power returns are logged as text tasks, and the owner can see what was done even if they were not on site.