Environmental Health & Safety

Learn what to do before, during, and after a power failure in a laboratory.

• BEFORE the power fails
  • Contact. Post emergency contact phone numbers on the lab safety sign in the hallway outside your lab. 
    Contact your  EH&S Research Safety Specialist to make changes to this sign
  • Flashlights. Equip your emergency/spill kit with a battery powered flashlight.
  • Chemicals. Do not leave open chemicals in the fume hood when the fume hood is unattended. Always safely store chemicals after use.
  • Electrical. Put essential equipment on emergency power circuits.
    • Install appropriately-sized surge protection devices for all sensitive or expensive electronics.
    • Consult with Facilities Services if you need to install an uninterruptible power source (ups) or other backup electrical systems or equipment.
  • Equipment. 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.
  • Dry Ice. 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.
• DURING the power outage
  • Bio/Chem/Rad. Shut down experiments that involve hazardous materials. 
    Make sure experiments are stable and won't create uncontrolled hazards.
  • Fume hoods & Biosafety Cabinets. 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.
  • Electrical. 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.
  • Power surges. Reduce electrical use and risk of power surges by: 
    • Disconnecting from emergency outlets equipment that runs unattended, and
    • Turning off unnecessary lights and equipment.
  • Temperature control. Transfer vulnerable items from cold rooms and refrigerators that have lost power to equipment served by emergency power.
• AFTER the power returns

  Check equipment

  • Reset and restart equipment
    • If building systems, including fume hoods, fail to restart or operate correctly, contact Facilities Services
    • If non-building equipment fails to restart or operate correctly, contact the manufacturer or service provider.
  • Confirm air flow in your fume hood is restored.
  • Recalibrate and reprogram equipment as necessary.

  Keep doors closed on refrigerators and freezers that failed until they have been repaired and returned to safe working temperature. 

  • Note: Some refrigerators and freezers require a manual restart.

  Notify

  • If system or equipment failures create hazardous conditions, immediately notify: 
    • During business hours contact Environmental Health & Safety (951) 827-5528
    • After business hours contact Police by dialing 911 or from a campus phone (951) 827-5222