Protecting Your Equipment During Severe Weather
Severe Weather Season is Upon Us
April showers bring May flowers, but they can also turn out to be a major cause of concern for your business’s equipment. Mother Nature, bold and unpredictable, is a true force to be reckoned with, causing an immense amount of damage to small businesses across the nation every year.
Lightning
Lightning is one of the most common causes of weather-related damage for small businesses, and there are two different types of threats to consider: A lightning strike, for example, that zaps a nearby pipe or utility pole can instantly fry all your building’s electronic equipment, costing you thousands.
A direct lightning strike, while rarer, can easily fry electrical equipment that is plugged into a wall outlet or surge protector, resulting in significant damage to both electrical and nonelectrical items in your workplace. Such incidents have even resulted in fires, destroying property and equipment, and putting lives at risk.
Luckily, there are a few ways to help prevent your business from falling prey to lightning damage.
Unplug Your Devices
The easiest, safest way to protect your equipment is by unplugging all devices before a storm hits. It may seem inconvenient to unplug everything when you have no idea where lightning may hit, if it even hits at all, but it’s just not a risk you ever want to take, especially with expensive and/or irreplaceable items.
Install Surge Protectors
While a surge protector cannot save your equipment from a direct strike, it can certainly prevent damage from voltage fluctuations caused by a nearby strike. (Protip: When buying a surge protector, be sure to choose one that shuts off automatically when damaged or compromised. This feature can make or break your equipment in an emergency.)
One important thing to remember is that not all power strips are surge protectors. This misconception leads to damaged equipment and lost money. Both include similar features and aesthetic appearances such as multiple outlets and an off-switch, so it’s easy to pick up a power strip and assume it offers surge protection. Make sure you read the fine print on the packaging to ensure the product you’re buying is, in fact, a surge protector.
Surge protectors are fantastic tools for damage prevention, but they don’t last forever. They keep your equipment safe by taking the brunt of power spikes, so they do, unfortunately, wear down over time. Old and damaged surge protectors are fire hazards in and of themselves, so be sure to replace them once they start showing some wear and tear. Luckily, many surge protectors feature an LED indicator that lets you know the functionality level of your device, so keep an eye on it over time.
Disaster Relief Plan
In the unfortunate event that your business does suffer storm-related damage, it is imperative to know what to do next with the resources available to you.
A Business Community Disaster Relief Plan is well-worth putting in place for this very reason. From hosted plans to web communications, it is important to work with your providers to plan ahead and ensure that you have back up measures in place, in case disaster strikes.
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