Electrical testing day Aug. 6 on the University of Oregon Eugene campus is an important and necessary event by the Utilities and Energy staff for testing campus systems and planning for emergency preparedness. If all tests go smoothly, you won’t even notice. But if just one of the 13 planned tests doesn’t go smoothly, you could experience a ten-second outage. If that happens, go with the flow and embrace the analog adventure.

First, some facts about electrical testing day: 

1. UO can operate independently of EWEB’s power system.
2. Your cell phone can still make calls.
3. Wi-Fi is still affected by power outages, even though it’s wireless.
4. If your job and supervisor allow, you can work remotely.
5. Take the stairs if possible. Elevators may shut down in a power glitch.
6. A power outage that lasts 10 seconds could cause a network outage that lasts 10 minutes. 

So what to do during these blips? Take advantage of the time to put down your devices and get caught up with analog tasks. 

1. Meet face-to-face with a coworker and hammer out details on that project you never quite get to.
2. Read a few chapters of the hottest professional development book.
3. Clean out your desk, empty the recycle bin and commit to staying tidy.
4. Take a walk to a part of campus you never visit.
5. Brainstorm cost-saving options with your team using a whiteboard or paper and pens.
6. Play an icebreaker game with coworkers or just take a dance break. 

The electrical testing day webpage lists important information on building shutdown schedules, restarting technical equipment, how to report problems and more. Facilities liaisons and principal investigators have been receiving updates for the past several weeks. A previous Workplace story explains why the testing is necessary.

—Jennifer Archer, University Communications