The Importance of Power Generation Utilities

• By Alex Puorro
• Sep 03, 2024

Power generation plants are critical infrastructure for providing electricity to local communities. Generating electric energy requires a vast array of equipment, including massive generators, turbines, boilers and transformers. They also have a large footprint with multiple buildings and worksites, often occupying hundreds of acres.

A typical power plant employs hundreds or thousands of people, including contractors. Knowing where everyone is at any given time is challenging, especially given the 24/7 nature of its operations. Between the main plant, fuel storage, water treatment facilities, containment areas, and command and control centers, routine messages are often broadcast campus-wide to reach everyone. And like any industrial setting, power generation plants can be dangerous working environments.

When emergencies occur, it is critical to share information with employees quickly and accurately to keep them safe.

Why Audio and Visual Alerts are Important
Power generation plants are often loud places to work, requiring hearing protection in certain areas. OSHA requires employers to implement hearing protection when noise exposure is at or above 85 decibels averaged more than eight working hours or an 8-hour time-weighted average. Exposure to high decibel levels over extended periods can also lead to audio fatigue and reduced reaction times, which are critical in emergencies.

Rapid and clear communication during an emergency can prevent accidents, coordinate emergency responses, and save lives. For facilities operating at normal decibel levels, voice announcements, alarms, and sirens can direct employees to seek safety, following predetermined safety training procedures. In loud environments, however, the absence of visual alarm indicators can be dangerous for employees wearing ear protection. Loudspeakers alone are insufficient in these facilities and require visual messages and flashers to capture attention.

In places where it may be difficult to hear, employees often communicate using hand signals or write notes to one another. According to NFPA 72, the sound pressure level (SPL) for file alarm audibility must be at least 15dBA above the average ambient sound level or at least 5dBA above the maximum sound level, which some employees may still find difficult to hear given their hearing protection and proximity to machinery.

This is why an effective communications system capable of delivering both audio and visual messages to employees everywhere in the facility is necessary. Visual indicators can include flashers or LED displays for text alerts or instructions. Facility managers can deliver pre-recorded, pre-scheduled daily audio announcements and text-based messages or make live announcements whenever they need from a central announcement console.

Mass communications also play a key role in public relations and community engagement. Emergencies at power plants can affect nearby communities and, in extreme cases, require evacuations. A mass communication system capable of sending text and email alerts to first responders and adjacent communities can significantly reduce response times and get people to safely evacuate in an orderly manner. Mass communication systems must also be evaluated regularly, so pre-communicating that the system is being tested and the alarms are not an indication of an actual emergency will be well-received by those living nearby.

Power Plant Case Study
A power generation facility in the southern part of the United States sits on hundreds of acres and is several hundred thousand square feet. Because of its sheer size, the facility installed thousands of IPX Series endpoints to reach employees with audio and visual communications.

The AtlasIED IPX Series of visual notification systems includes Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant displays to deliver effective visual alerts in high-noise environments. The facility has multiple double-sided IP-DDS endpoints installed to communicate with staff and visitors. Each IP-DDS is equipped with a text screen, a loudspeaker, and an LED flasher.

The facility also installed Singlewire’s Informacast, a central software platform for distributing announcements to IPX endpoints, including routine shift change announcements or emergency weather-related or facility evacuation messages. Informacast can also distribute messages to mobile devices for those working inside the facility or offsite.

Additionally, using InformaCast, the facility can centrally view all IPX endpoints on the network and quickly identify any endpoints that may need repairs.

The power generation plant also added multiple IPX IP-to-analog gateways to allow system installers to easily connect analog audio devices to its existing network. Leveraging the gateways, the facility used AtlasIED analog loudspeakers and paging horns in multiple areas to broadcast announcements.

Large FS Series loudspeakers were s in areas with machinery, large open spaces, and outdoors to ensure the delivery of announcements. The facility chose AtlasIED FS12T-94 weather-resistant horn loudspeakers in areas that needed excellent voice reproduction, intelligibility, and the ability to withstand exposure to harsh environmental conditions.

This power generation plant also faced an issue with employees vandalizing speakers to avoid hearing routine announcements, which compromised the system and left the company vulnerable to fines from local regulators. Facility management addressed the issue by installing AtlasIED IP-HVP Vandal and Weather Resistant loudspeakers, which include an industrial-grade grille, backbox and vandal-proof screws, preventing wires from being cut.

Effective mass communication systems are crucial for maintaining safety and efficiency within power generation facilities. Audio and visual alerts are necessary to overcome the challenges of high noise levels and ensure that all employees receive critical information promptly. Any industrial facility can present dangers to employees, so facility managers must be able to make pre-programmed and live notifications across the facility to help maintain operations and keep employees and nearby communities safe.