Power Failures in High-Rise Condominiums

Prevention, Preparedness and Emergency Response

Last year, a Crane hit a high voltage transmission line in Toronto and caused thousands to lose power across a central part of Toronto for hours.  Numerous High-Rise Condominiums were impacted, but thanks to their property management team’s actions, before, during and after the power failure, we have safe buildings.

As with all incidents impacting a high-rise building’s operations requiring a response, lessons learned are identified after the incident, to ensure that the next incident impacts us all - less.  This is the very foundation of having an “active” risk management program required by building Owners. The following is a brief list of lessons learned, best practices and tips to ensure your high-rise building is ready for the next power failure.  Thank you to all the Professional Property Managers out there for everything you do to keep our communities safe.

Ø  Have portable lighting at the ready!

Your building Supervisory Staff such as Superintendents and Front Desk Security Staff, should have rapid access to emergency use flashlights, complete with spare batteries in the event of a power failure.  To always ensure they are available and ready – Implement a monthly checklist to test batteries and make sure the flashlights are at the ready.  In fact, its not a bad idea for the Security Concierge to have a battery powered, wind up radio to listen for updates, news, alerts and more.

Ø  Check and Inspect your emergency generator once every 7 days.

Did you know that Emergency Generators for residential buildings must be inspected by the building staff every 7 days?  A 15 point inspection is required, that must be documented by the building owner every week, to ensure there are no leaks, corrosion, troubles and more. 

In addition to this weekly inspection, your high-rise residential building generator will also require a monthly test.  Documentation of these monthly tests is required to be maintained by the Property Management team, on behalf of the building Owner.  When these systems are inspected and tested when required, they will work when required, better protecting us all in the building.

Ø  Keep the Fuel Level topped up and storage clear !

Fuel levels for your building’s emergency generator “fuel storage tank” should be checked every 30 days – and be documented by either your building Superintendent or Security Guard during routine patrols.  The level of fuel for your fuel tank should never go below 80 percent as this generator fuel, provides emergency power to our building’s critical life safety systems during power failures.

Your diesel fuel tank is typically protected by a spill moat, that is designed typically to hold 110 percent of the volume inside the fuel tank, allowing this moat, to be a secondary containment area.  In the event the tank leaks or fails,  the spill moat is designed to capture all of the spilled diesel.  Never store any materials inside the spill moat area as this decreases the area available to safely collect the diesel in the event of a spill.

Ø  When the lights go out - Keep both Staff & Residents Up to Date!

During a power failure, be prepared to communicate / update occupants of your condominium via the building’s Emergency Voice Communications system.  This means building staff require training on how to use this system, and the correct wording and advice to provide residents during power failures.  It is your building’s emergency response plan that will capture all of these procedures, including what to explain to the residents during power failures.   Your Fire Alarm System, and Emergency Voice Communication System will continue to function during power failures as it is backed up by your emergency generator. 

Did you know that in the event your generator fails, your fire alarm system is still going to protect you and your building? Absolutely.  Your fire alarm system is backed up by both the emergency generator, and as a redundancy to the redundancy – local batteries inside the fire alarm panel.

Ø  Introduce your Domestic Water Pumps to the Emergency Generator

If you haven’t done this as part of your lessons learned after the last major power failure the GTA saw, then this is an important step to take now.  Domestic water pumps ensure that water gets up to all the floors as needed in a high-rise, to “boost” municipal water pressure.  During power failures, if these booster pumps, are not on emergency power, certain residents won’t get receive water during power failures.  While this is not a major concern for brief power failures, this can result in significant concerns during prolonged power failures and create additional “emergencies” within an emergency. 

Ø  Develop an  “Emergency Preparedness & Response Plan” 

I would suggest that a power failure in a high rise building is a “reasonable”, and “foreseeable” emergency that would occur in a Condominium.  That means that we are required to plan for them.

Having policies, procedures and documented prevention and mitigation efforts is already a requirement for the most common, foreseeable emergencies that could occur in your Condominium.

Most High-Rise Property Managers achieve this by having Emergency Preparedness & Response Plans developed, specifically for their building.  It is this plan, that allows them to professionally document all they set out to do, to protect residents, employees, workers, visitors and guests to the building, on behalf of the Building Owner.

In Ontario for example, there is significant legislation such as the Occupational Health & Safety Act, Occupier’s Liability Act and even Fire Codes that have unique requirements that can be best met, by documenting and implementing an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan in all high-rise buildings.  In order to meet successfully meet these requirements, consideration should always focus on two major themes; Preparedness - What will the Corporation (Owner) do to prevent, prepare for, and document their steps to mitigate the potential emergency – if and when it does occur.  This will include such things as daily, weekly and monthly checks and inspections, as well as policies and procedures to prevent and mitigate the risks and impacts when they occur. 

The final theme, the response - how should the corporation, the management team and building staff respond to those emergencies.  Having this plan available to trained building staff to follow during emergencies can provide both life saving opportunities and time saving guides that will limit the impacts to emergencies.  All  of these direct benefits to employees of the building, are at the same time, a direct benefit to the residents.  Beyond these proven opportunities, it also allows the Corporation to document all of its due diligence.  A Condominium Emergency Preparedness & Response Plan should always be based on a building and community specific approach to risk and hazards. 

Property managers are the vital connection to maintaining a fire safe, and well prepared building. If you are a property manager who would like to learn more about your building’s fire safety needs and compliance status, visit us at www.nationallifesafetygroup.ca, call 647-794-5505 or email solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca.