Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance

Area-wide power outage following a major weather event

Major weather events (such as storms, bushfires and floods) can in some circumstances lead to area-wide power outages. These events impact the broader local community, not just individual schools.

This guidance chapter outlines what schools can do if they are impacted by an area-wide power outage following a major weather event, including how they can prepare for this.

This chapter also outlines the various support mechanisms the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) Make-safe program can offer schools impacted and how schools can access this support.

If schools experience a power outage due to a localised issue (that is, the issue that caused the power outage occurred within the boundaries of the school’s site), they can refer to the Make-safe Guidelines guidance chapter if they need support to make their site safe.

Planning for operating without power

As outlined in the Emergency and Critical Incident Management Planning policy, schools will have a current Emergency Management Plan and Business Continuity Plan that addresses site specific hazards and threats, including major weather events.

Schools are encouraged to know and document the following considerations for area-wide power outages in their Emergency Management Plan and Business Continuity Plan:

• which areas of their school can operate without power and an agreed procedure for how to operate these areas without the functionality of power
• which areas of the school cannot operate without power and an agreed procedure for how the school will manage the loss of use of these spaces (for example, relocating classes)
• if any security measures will be compromised without power, and how the school will manage this
• how the school will manage communication with parents and the department
• how the school will monitor and track attendance
• emergency power options available to the school that is not a generator or alternative operations, for example, emergency lighting options or torches, power banks for some essential electrical devices, manual operations of equipment if safe to do so
• how they will adapt teaching and learning practices without digital resources and technology. Schools are encouraged to prioritise outdoor learning opportunities where it is safe and practical to do so.

Key considerations for schools following an area wide power outage caused by a major weather event

As outlined in the Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies) policy, when a major weather event causes an area-wide power outage, schools must:

• contact emergency services (fire brigade, ambulance, police) on 000 where there is an immediate serious hazard or threat to the safety of students and staff
• enact their Emergency Management Plan and Business Continuity Plan
• report Low or Medium severity incidents through eduSafe Plus and High or Extreme severity incidents through the Incident Support and Operations Centre
• follow the Notifiable incident to WorkSafe flowchart (PDF) if they experience tingles or shocks from electrical appliances or water taps
• follow the guidance in the Loss of essential services section.

Regional teams will work with the affected school to determine if the school is safe to open and be operational.

Schools are recommended to take the following safety precautions in the event of an area wide power outage:

• switch off all appliances as they could start a fire if the power returns, especially those that heat (for example, heaters, kettles and hot water urns)
• shut down solar PV systems using the safe isolation procedure
• use safe alternative lighting such as a torch or a battery-operated lantern
• not touch the switchboard or anything metal, turn off any power points that are easy to access and unplug appliances if they have dull or flickering lights, ‘brown out’, low voltage or partial supply.

Schools that have their own generators can use these to power their site, in accordance with the Plant and Equipment Management policy. Safe use of generators can include (but is not limited to):

• following manufacturers or suppliers’ instructions
• never using a portable generator indoors or in enclosed areas
• positioning the generator away from dry grass and other flammable materials as well as rain or wet conditions
• using heavy-duty extension cords and weatherproof power cord covers designed for outdoor use.

For further information, schools can refer to Power outages and energy safety – Energy Safe Victoria.

How the VSBA’s Make-safe program can support schools

When a school is safe and the school has decided to remain open, with the support and authorisation of their regional director, the VSBA’s Make-safe Program may be able to support them to implement their Emergency Management Plan and Business Continuity Plan.

The VSBA can support schools in various ways, including the provision of portable toilets, water and in some circumstances, generators. Generators will not always be the best solution for schools. Each school is assessed and all individual circumstances are considered.

There are many factors the Make-safe Program will consider in making their assessment of eligibility and schools will be provided a generator where that is the best solution. Generally, schools (except for specialist schools who will all be assessed on a case-by-case basis) whose power is likely to be impacted for 5 or more school days, will be assessed for generator eligibility. All other schools will be assessed for other forms of support, such as portable toilets and water, as the provision of a generator to a school may take 5 days (see further details on this below).

All factors and eligibility criteria are outlined below. If a generator is not practical for the school site or cannot be provided, the Make-safe Program will work with the school and regional teams to find alternative provisions of support to allow them to safety operate their site until power is restored. The VSBA can mobilise support quickly through portable toilets and/or water, meaning schools are likely to be operational more quickly.

Eligibility for support – specialist schools

Specialist schools provide specialised education for students with specific disability and high needs. These school environments, along with their students, are likely to be more vulnerable to the impacts of a power outage. As such, the VSBA will consider eligibility for a VSBA-provided generator regardless of the anticipated time until power will be restored.

After following the guidance in the Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies) policy and enacting their Emergency Management Plan and Business Continuity Plan, specialist schools can contact the Make-safe Program on 1300 133 468 for support.

The VSBA will work with the specialist school and regional teams to determine the most appropriate way to support them through the loss of power. This may include providing the specialist school with a generator if this is determined to be the best solution. Other available support options may include the provision of accessible portable toilets and/or water.

Eligibility for support – all other schools

After following the guidance in the Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies) policy and enacting their Emergency Management Plan and Business Continuity Plan, all non-specialist schools must contact their energy distributor. Schools must confirm that the power outage is area-wide and must enquire about the anticipated time for restoration of the service.

Schools whose power will be restored in less than 5 school days

If the power company advises that power is anticipated to be restored in less than 5 school days (that is, not including weekends, public holidays or school holidays), schools may be eligible to receive forms of support from the VSBA’s Make-safe Program, such as portable toilets and water. Schools in these circumstances will not be eligible to receive VSBA-provided generators as arranging generators can take several days and so is generally not an efficient means of support for short-term outage.

If schools need these supports to operate their school site safety under their Emergency Management Plan and Business Continuity Plan, they can contact the Make-safe Program on 1300 133 468. The Make-safe Program will assess the school’s circumstances and provide support as appropriate.

Schools whose power won’t be restored for 5 or more school days

If the power company advises that the power is anticipated to be restored in 5 or more school days (that is, not including weekends, public holidays or school holidays), schools may be eligible to receive a generator to power their site through the Make-safe Program, along with other forms of support, such as portable toilets and water.

Schools do not need to wait 5 days before they contact the Make-safe Program – the eligibility requirement for support is that the energy distributor informs the school that the power is not likely to be restored within the next 5 school days (that is, not including weekends, public holidays or school holidays).

If schools receive this information from their energy distributor, they are encouraged to contact the Make-safe Program on 1300 133 468 as soon as possible for their eligibility for support to be assessed.

Generators will not always be the best solution for schools. Each school is assessed on a case-by-case basis, and all individual circumstances are considered. There are many factors the Make-safe Program will consider in making their assessment of eligibility and schools will be provided a generator where that is the best solution. The factors are outlined below.

If a generator is not practical for the school site or cannot be provided, the Make-safe Program will work with the school and regional teams to find alternative provisions of support to allow them to safety operate their site until power is restored. The VSBA can mobilise support quickly through portable toilets and/or water, meaning schools are likely to be operational more quickly.

Generator eligibility factors

Most efficient support for the school

• The aim of the Make-safe Program in these circumstances is to provide schools with the most beneficial support as quickly as possible to allow the school to be open and operate safety.
• Generators are not always the most practical solution to provide schools with rapid support which will allow them to be open and operate safety.
• The provision of a generator to a school site takes time as an electrician is required to attend the school site to see if one can be connected. The electrician needs to determine where on the site the generator can be situated and the size of the generator required for that school site.
• The generator then needs to be sourced and transported by truck, followed by an inspection by an electrical inspector for compliance purposes.
• This process can take a few days depending on the location of the school and the availability of required trades and resources.
• The VSBA will assess if the provision of a generator will provide the most efficient support to the school, or if other supports (such as portable toilets and/or water) will be better suited.
• The VSBA will provide advice to the school, regional teams and other areas of the department about recommended options to support the school.

Impact of loss of power to the school

• The VSBA will work with regional teams and other relevant areas of the department to consider how capable the school is with operating their school site without power, including how the loss of power is going to impact on their operations.
• Consideration will be given to the school’s Emergency Management Plan and Business Continuity Plan to make this assessment as well as any other relevant information provided by regional teams.

Availability of generators in the local area

• The VBSA does not own generators. These are sourced from local providers when needed.
• During area-wide disruption of power, generators can be difficult to source, and this can lead to delays to power being restored on a school’s site.
• The VSBA will make preliminary enquiries with local providers and take anticipated timeframes for generator availability into account.

Site suitability for a generator

• Not all sites are suitable for a generator. This may be for several reasons including space available on the school’s site, ventilation issues, availability of fuel and electrical compatibility.
• The VSBA will need to assess the suitability of the site through an electrician before a generator is sourced.

Other options available to the school

• The VSBA will work with the region and relevant teams to explore other suitable options to manage the impact of the power outage on operations and safety.
• This may include relocating to another school or campus if required and possible.
• The VSBA will consider the school’s Emergency Management Plan and Business Continuity Plan to make this assessment and will also involve regional teams for input.

What schools can do if they are ineligible

Schools who are ineligible for a VSBA-provided generator can make their own enquiries with local providers but should be mindful of cost (including fuel). The VSBA will not reimburse schools if they hire their own generator without VSBA approval.

Schools can refer to the guidance in the Loss of essential services section of the Managing and Reporting School Incidents (including Emergencies) policy if they need further support to manage their site without power.

Contacts

Victorian School Building Authority
Response Programs Unit
Email: vsba.response.program@education.vic.gov.au
33 St Andrews Place
East Melbourne 3001