Planning and preparation is key for outages

Planned outages are an important piece to the power puzzle. They require a lot of planning, resources and budget but outages allow for routine maintenance, updates and fixes to keep the plant operating at maximum capacity and ensure successful utility performance. Planning and preparation is key. Here are some things to consider:

Specific plan for your site

An outage takes a lot of coordination and the details are meticulous. Articulate and document the plan and outline clearly structured outage organization details from start to finish: outage planning and pre; outage execution; post-outage review. A clearly-defined scope and process leaves little room for interpretation so the outage can go smoothly and efficiently.

In need of equipment solutions?

Equipment solutions and applications are not one size fits all. Consider every element of the plan to ensure the right equipment is ready and in-place at the right time. Do not forget things like safety checkpoints, training areas, spaces that need cooling / heating or emergency services. Temporary or owned, equipment is essential.

Is safety guaranteed? 

Plant safety is critical and when it comes to outages, there is even more to consider. Ensure your team is up to date on the latest certifications and address any permit requests plus any potential hazards. Then communicate that to the team. Defer to your plan for any additional training requirements. For example: is there a confined space planned? Those extra safety requirements and considerations could add time and dollars to your bottom line if they are not part of the plan.  

Do you have an Emergency plan?

Part of ensuring the outage goes as planned is preparing for the unplanned. Have an emergency plan in place and ensure it is clearly articulated to the team.

Review outage

Similar to a project post-mortem, take the time to assess the outage from start to finish. What worked well, what could be optimised for next time? Continue to evolve the plan of each outage to maximise efforts of the team and ensure the best possible output from the plant.

Fall outage is critical to plant maintenance. And consulting with experts regarding specific circumstances, applicable rules, regulations related to a planned outage is always recommended.