What Every Business Needs to Know to Prepare for a PSPS

PSPS Tips for Small Businesses

Before a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), small business owners should consider how a power outage could affect their business, employees, and customers and take the necessary steps to prepare.

Prepare for a Power Outage

Establish a clear plan to be followed in an emergency. Include step-by-step instructions for employees so there is no confusion about what they should do in different scenarios. And practice your plan to find problems and answer questions before it’s too late.

Familiarize workers with emergency equipment. As you develop your emergency plan, check that you have the emergency equipment you need, like fire extinguishers and backup generators, will be easily accessible in an emergency, and your employees know how to operate them safely. 

Consider purchasing a surge protector. After an outage, your business could experience a power surge or spike. A surge protector can help guard against equipment damage. 

Have a data backup plan. Key data should be backed up daily. In the event of physical damage, like fire or flooding, it is important to have an off-site or cloud-based backup system in place.

If you operate a retail business, you may want make sure you can take mobile payments and keep accurate records while the power is out. 

If you have perishable items, know how long you can keep items cold in the refrigerator or freezer. Consider a backup location where you can store food in the event of an extended outage.

Keep your employees safe. Make sure that smoke alarms, fire sprinklers, and other safety equipment are working properly. Put together an emergency kit with food, water, flashlights and batteries with enough supplies to provide for all of your workers and customers if an emergency occurs during peak business hours.

Update contact information with PG&E

Be sure that PG&E has the best contact information for everyone in your business who needs to be notified in the event of an emergency.

In advance of a potential PSPS and other emergencies, PG&E will send notifications to the phone number and email address we have on file. You can update your contact information by logging in to your business’ PG&E online account, and designate other team members to receive notifications.

To ensure your contact information is up-to-date, or to learn more about PSPS, you can: