Preparing for emergencies
Last Updated: 23 November, 2007
Scenario a): Unexpected loss of supply to an entire region (or devolved administration) for up to 24 hours and some rural areas for up to one week.
Scenario b): Planned three hour rota cuts.
Scenario c): Unexpected total shutdown of the grid. Power will begin to be restored within 12 hours, starting with rural areas, until power is restored across the grid over three days.
Scenario a) Local disruption may occur, for example, under extreme weather conditions or from a local technical failure.
Scenario b) This scenario could occur as a result of reduced generational capacity which may occur under various scenarios.
Scenario c) This scenario is based on loss of electricity supply nationally. The UK national grid has never experienced a shutdown and safeguards are in place to prevent it.
Consider alternative methods of working which do not require mains electricity, rostering of the workforce to match rota power cuts, closure of non-essential premises and movement of critical services to unaffected locales (including offshore) where possible and health and safety implications allow.