Power Protection FEATURED ARTICLE

In the U.S., schools may allow for dismissal during a power outage depending on state regulations. In Taiwan, an extended power outage didn’t keep students from taking their exams on test day, much to the chagrin of parents.

According to local news sources, the outage at Hsin Tien Senior High School lasted four hours. To make matters worse, the air conditioning that was necessary to combat the area’s summer heat was unavailable, making test-taking conditions rather uncomfortable for many.

Parents complained that the conditions were unfair to those taking the exam, requesting that extended time be given to finish the tests in a more suitable environment.

Sadly, rules from the education department don’t allow for extra time – yes, even during a power outage. Given the circumstances of how widespread the outage was, it was brought back to the board to discuss the protection of students’ rights.

Despite the outside temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius (that’s 91 degrees for those who don’t understand the Metric system), inside temperatures were deemed “good enough” thanks to proper ventilation and natural lighting.

At the end of the day, the test went on, and those taking exams later in the day did so with no issues reported.

Perhaps during more extreme weather months, it is a good idea to consider a backup plan, should nature interfere with events, including exam day.

The solution? An uninterruptible power supply.

Aside from maintaining power when necessary, UPS prevents data loss and offers surge protection. The UPS automatically switches to AC-generated battery power, preventing the spike or surge from harming whatever is connected to it. A UPS also prevents power fluctuations.

Of course, this is also good advice for facilities and organizations beyond education; it’s good for businesses, too.

In addition to keeping things running smoothly, using power protection equipment can also save institutions thousands in costly damages due to outages in the event of an interruption or total outage.

Minuteman UPS/Para Systems (News - Alert) is a provider of power protection solutions and offers an array of products, from outlet surge protectors to UPSs, all of which are designed to keep organizations going, regardless of what’s going on outside.