Lights in the office - If they are out?
Lights in the office - If they are out?
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Discussion

geeks

Original Poster:

11,594 posts

168 months

Monday 10th August 2015
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So, they are back on now but Wifes place had a big powersurge, took them over an hour to get the lights back on, PC's etc all ran off the backup generator however lights and aircon did not. So a large open plan office with next to know windows for natural light, pretty much in the dark but they all had to stay and work, now no harm, no foul i guess, however if they had not get them back on, would they have had to send them all home? One can imagine some H+S around this, just curious more than anything..

agtlaw

7,387 posts

235 months

Monday 10th August 2015
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You should sue Southern Electric. If your supplier isn't Southern Electric, sue them anyway.


jkh112

23,930 posts

187 months

Monday 10th August 2015
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Health, safety and welfare regs require suitable and sufficient lighting in the workplace. Emergency lighting is required if personnel are specifically exposed to danger in the event of lighting failure.

The Surveyor

7,624 posts

266 months

Monday 10th August 2015
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Put yourselves in the place of the person who has to make the call on this.

The power goes out and leave all the lighting off other than the emergency maintained light fitting needed for fire escape. Nobody knows how long until the lighting circuit is switch back on, it could be 30 seconds, it could be 5 mins, 15 mins, an hour etc. People are safe sat at their desks so do you put them at risk initiating a panic evacuation when there isn't any real danger, do you give it a few minutes then ask people to leave the building and gather outside, or do you let people know there has been a power serge and the lighting will be back on as soon as possible.

There is no right answer at the time, only afterwards with the benefit of hindsight.

944fan

4,962 posts

214 months

Monday 10th August 2015
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The Surveyor said:
Put yourselves in the place of the person who has to make the call on this.

The power goes out and leave all the lighting off other than the emergency maintained light fitting needed for fire escape. Nobody knows how long until the lighting circuit is switch back on, it could be 30 seconds, it could be 5 mins, 15 mins, an hour etc. People are safe sat at their desks so do you put them at risk initiating a panic evacuation when there isn't any real danger, do you give it a few minutes then ask people to leave the building and gather outside, or do you let people know there has been a power serge and the lighting will be back on as soon as possible.

There is no right answer at the time, only afterwards with the benefit of hindsight.

herewego

8,814 posts

242 months

Monday 10th August 2015
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The Surveyor said:
Put yourselves in the place of the person who has to make the call on this.

The power goes out and leave all the lighting off other than the emergency maintained light fitting needed for fire escape. Nobody knows how long until the lighting circuit is switch back on, it could be 30 seconds, it could be 5 mins, 15 mins, an hour etc. People are safe sat at their desks so do you put them at risk initiating a panic evacuation when there isn't any real danger, do you give it a few minutes then ask people to leave the building and gather outside, or do you let people know there has been a power serge and the lighting will be back on as soon as possible.

There is no right answer at the time, only afterwards with the benefit of hindsight.
What's all this common sense stuff all about? What was wrong with "everybody out"?

T5SOR

2,030 posts

254 months

Wednesday 12th August 2015
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I would get on with my work and expect everyone else to carry on as well. These things hapen, get on with it.

Spitfire2

1,968 posts

215 months

Wednesday 12th August 2015
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T5SOR said:
I would get on with my work and expect everyone else to carry on as well. These things happen, get on with it.
Quite - its amazing just how quick folk start moaning about even little things in a large office. What's the big deal with it being a bit duller and warmer than usual for a while?

andy-xr

13,204 posts

233 months

Thursday 13th August 2015
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Yes, they probably would have had to send them all home, but I think that's more out of common sense and productivity rather than someone in hi viz, short sleeved shirt (with pen in top pocket) and clipboard decreeing that it was now not safe to fly a desk because of a lack of aircon