# 11.4 Power Failure Procedures
**Version:** V2
**Date:** October 2025
**Section:** 11 – Electrical
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## Purpose
To establish clear procedures for staff to follow during power failures or electrical outages, ensuring safety, customer communication, and business continuity at Little Coffee Bean Co locations.
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## Scope
This SOP applies to all staff at fixed shop locations and mobile Tuk Tuk units during power failures or electrical outages.
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## Immediate Actions (First 5 minutes)
### Step 1: Assess the Situation
1. Determine if power failure is:
– **Location-wide** (entire shop/Tuk Tuk without power)
– **Partial** (some equipment without power)
– **Isolated** (single circuit or equipment affected)
2. Check:
– Are other nearby businesses affected? (indicates wider area outage)
– Is the fuse box/circuit breaker accessible?
– What time is it? (affects customer impact)
### Step 2: Ensure Safety
1. **Turn off all equipment** to prevent damage when power returns
2. **Prevent hazards:**
– Keep customers away from kitchen areas
– Ensure emergency lighting is functioning
– Check for any burning smells or electrical hazards
– Do not touch any electrical equipment
3. **If fire or electrical hazard suspected:**
– Evacuate immediately
– Call emergency services (999)
– Do not attempt to investigate
### Step 3: Inform Manager/Franchisee
1. Contact manager or franchisee immediately
2. Report:
– Time of power failure
– Extent of outage (location-wide or partial)
– Any hazards or concerns
– Whether other businesses affected
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## Customer Communication
### Using Customer Scripts
Refer to the **Customer Power Failure Scripts** (available in company documentation) for consistent, professional communication with customers. Scripts include:
– Greeting and apology for inconvenience
– Clear explanation of the situation
– Estimated time to resolution (if known)
– Offer of alternatives (if available)
– Contact information for updates
### Verbal Communication
If scripts are not available, use this approach:
1. **Acknowledge the issue:**
– “I’m sorry, we’re experiencing a power outage at the moment.”
2. **Explain impact:**
– “We’re unable to serve hot drinks/take card payments/operate our equipment.”
3. **Provide timeframe:**
– “We’re working to restore power. We’ll update you shortly.”
4. **Offer alternatives:**
– “We can offer cold drinks/refunds/alternative service if available.”
5. **Thank them:**
– “Thank you for your patience and understanding.”
### Signage
1. Place clear signage at entrance:
– “Temporary power outage – We apologize for the inconvenience”
– “We’re working to restore service”
– Estimated time to resolution (if known)
2. Update social media:
– Post on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X
– Brief explanation and expected resolution time
– Thank customers for patience
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## Checking the Fuse Box/Circuit Breaker
### Step 1: Locate Fuse Box (per local procedures)
1. Refer to **Local Electrical Operating Procedures** for fuse box location
2. Ensure area is clear and safe to access
### Step 2: Visual Inspection
1. Look for:
– Tripped circuit breakers (switch in middle or OFF position)
– Signs of burning or damage
– Water or moisture
– Any obvious hazards
2. **If hazards found:**
– Do not touch fuse box
– Report to manager
– Contact qualified electrician
– Proceed to “Calling for Help” section
### Step 3: Reset Circuit Breaker (if safe)
1. **Only if:**
– No signs of damage or burning
– No water or moisture present
– You have been trained to do so
2. **To reset:**
– Switch breaker firmly to OFF position
– Wait 10 seconds
– Switch firmly back to ON position
3. **If breaker trips again immediately:**
– Do not reset again
– Contact qualified electrician
– Proceed to “Calling for Help” section
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## If Power Does Not Return
### Step 1: Check with Neighbors/Utility Company
1. Ask nearby businesses if they have power
2. If area-wide outage:
– Contact local utility company (typically UK Power Networks, Scottish Power, etc.)
– Report outage
– Get estimated restoration time
3. If outage is only at your location:
– Proceed to “Calling for Help” section
### Step 2: Calling for Help
1. **Contact qualified electrician:**
– Use contact details from Local Electrical Operating Procedures
– Describe the situation clearly
– Provide location address and access details
2. **Document the incident:**
– Record time of outage
– Time of restoration
– Any damage or issues
– Actions taken
3. **Contact manager/franchisee:**
– Inform of electrician contact and ETA
– Discuss business continuity options
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## During Extended Power Outage
### Protecting Equipment
1. **Leave all equipment switched OFF**
– Do not attempt to use equipment on backup power unless trained
– Wait for power to fully stabilize before switching on
2. **Refrigeration:**
– Keep fridge/freezer doors closed
– Minimize opening to preserve temperature
– If outage extends beyond 4 hours, follow food safety procedures (Section 2)
3. **POS System:**
– Do not force shut down if powered off
– Wait for controlled shutdown when power returns
### Business Continuity
1. **If outage is short (under 30 minutes):**
– Offer cold drinks and packaged items
– Take manual payment details (card details securely)
– Apologize for inconvenience
2. **If outage is extended (over 30 minutes):**
– Consider closing location
– Offer refunds for orders
– Post updates on social media
– Contact manager for guidance
3. **Mobile Tuk Tuk units:**
– If power loss affects refrigeration/equipment:
– Stop serving immediately
– Secure location
– Contact manager for guidance
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## When Power Returns
### Step 1: Safety Check
1. **Wait 2 minutes** before switching on equipment
2. **Check for:**
– Burning smells
– Visible damage
– Unusual sounds
– Smoke or sparks
3. **If hazards present:**
– Do not switch on equipment
– Contact qualified electrician
– Evacuate if necessary
### Step 2: Equipment Restart
1. **Restart in this order:**
– Lighting first
– Refrigeration units
– POS system
– Coffee machines and other equipment
2. **Monitor equipment:**
– Listen for unusual sounds
– Watch for error messages
– Check all systems functioning normally
3. **If equipment not functioning:**
– Do not force restart
– Contact manager
– Contact qualified electrician if needed
### Step 3: Food Safety Check
1. If outage lasted more than 4 hours:
– Check temperature of refrigerated items
– Follow food safety procedures (Section 2)
– Discard any items that may be unsafe
2. Document:
– Time power returned
– Any equipment issues
– Any food discarded
### Step 4: Resume Service
1. Once all systems confirmed working:
– Resume normal service
– Update customers and social media
– Thank customers for patience
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## Documentation and Reporting
1. **Complete incident report:**
– Date and time of outage
– Duration
– Cause (if known)
– Actions taken
– Any damage or issues
– Equipment affected
2. **Report to manager/franchisee:**
– Provide incident report
– Discuss any follow-up actions
– Update maintenance log
3. **Store records securely:**
– Keep for audit and compliance purposes
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## Escalation
If any of the following occur:
– Power does not return within 1 hour
– Burning smells or electrical hazards present
– Equipment damaged or not functioning after power return
– Repeated power failures
**Action:**
1. Contact manager immediately
2. Follow company Troubleshooting Escalation Protocol (Section 1.3)
3. Contact qualified electrician
4. Document all actions taken
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## Safety Notes
– **Never** attempt to repair electrical equipment
– **Never** use damaged equipment after power restoration
– **Never** ignore burning smells or electrical hazards
– **Never** leave equipment running unattended during outage
– **Always** prioritize customer and staff safety
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## References
– Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Electrical Safety Guidance
– BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations
– Company Troubleshooting Escalation Protocol (Section 1.3)
– Customer Power Failure Scripts (company documentation)
– Local Electrical Operating Procedures (location-specific)
– Food Safety Procedures (Section 2)