Power Protection and UPS Blog

Continuity Central has just reported that the BSI is looking for comments on its draft of BS 25999 part two - the Business Continuity standard.

The standard is concerned with risk management within an organisation and its Business Continuity Management System (BCMS). Section 5.2 is particularly concerned with Risk Assessment and calls for an organisation to identify threats and vulnerabilities - both being areas that power problems and interruptions would impact.

I personally welcome documents like BS 25999 as it encourages organisations to approach their power continuity plans in a systemic manner, as a proactive management approach rather than a reactive one.

The consequences of a mains power failure can at times be quite staggering. I am convinced that such incidents follow chaos theory.

Take Southern Water, who were recently prosecuted by the Environment Agency for allowing sewage to escape into the River Alver. The cause - you guessed it - a mains power failure at their Peel Water Treatment Works in Fareham.

Riello UPS has worked with a number of water companies to help overcome such problems. Some of the installations have to be specially engineered to cope with an environment that can at times be damp and on occasions even flood.