The recent widespread power outage across Spain and Portugal has highlighted the critical need for organisations to prepare for similar events. Such outages can disrupt essential services, halt transportation, and lead to public unrest including looting.
To mitigate these risks, organisations should implement comprehensive risk management strategies. Below are ten essential steps to enhance resilience both prior to and during a large-scale power outage:
Preparation
1. Develop, maintain and exercise a Business Continuity Plan
2. Install, maintain and test backup power systems for key operations
3. Reinforce physical and cybersecurity measures
4. Build in communication system redundancies
5. Establish alternative transport and logistics plans
6. Train staff for technology-free operations
7. Secure and back up data
8. Implement emergency remote work systems
9. Coordinate with external stakeholders and authorities
10. Review and update insurance, legal and financial risk mitigations
During
1. Activate the Business Continuity Plan
2. Deploy and monitor emergency power resources
3. Implement offline communication systems
4. Maintain operational security and monitor for threats
5. Ensure workforce safety and mobility
6. Safeguard IT infrastructure and execute recovery protocols
7. Control critical inventory and cash flow
8. Support remote workers with ad-hoc tools and facilities
9. Record incident management and key decisions
10. Continuously monitor and reassess
Griffiths & Armour recommends that organisations take the opportunity to review their business continuity plans and operational resilience to ensure that these are fit for purpose should a wide-scale power outage occur. Additional guidance and template documentation covering business continuity is available within RMworks, Griffiths & Armour’s online risk management portal available to all clients.
Further information on RMworks is available here. If you have any questions about the contents of this article, please get in touch.
