ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Power surges are one of the biggest threats to workers and equipment in industrial facilities. Despite causing billions of dollars in lost operations time and equipment repair each year, many facilities are not adequately protected against the effects of surges.
In 2021 and 2024, ESFI surveyed industrial and commercial facility professionals to find out how their facilities had been impacted by surges. The results of these surveys show that surges are common, costly, and unpredictable. 74% of respondents said their facility has experienced a surge, and, among those, more than half said the surge(s) resulted in equipment failure or a power outage. Downtime for any reason can be costly, and surges are no exception. Depending on the facility and scale of the problem, unplanned downtime can cost anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to millions of dollars per hour.
Fortunately, ESFI’s survey work also shows that Surge Protective Devices (SPDs) work as intended to protect against surge hazards. Among the respondents who have SPDs installed in their facility, 71% say that SPDs have reduced downtime and equipment failure either “significantly” or “completely.” Despite the data showing the effectiveness of SPDs, many facilities have not been appropriately equipped to handle surge events, in part due to common misconceptions about surges and SPDs.
In the survey responses, many were unaware of the threat of internal surges. While external events (like nearby lightning) can cause surges, data from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association shows that most surges actually have internal causes — primarily on/off cycling of machinery, faulty wiring, and electrical overloads. It is crucial for facilities to have SPDs both at the building’s service entrance and at the points of use that connect directly to an electrical device. Using a layered approach by combining Types 1, 2, and 3 SPDs is vital to ensure that your facility has a cascaded defense against both internal and external surges.
Many respondents also believed that fuses and breakers, GFCIs, proper wiring, and typical power strips could protect against surges. None of these are replacements for SPDs within your facility, and overlooking surge protection can put safety equipment at risk and leave expensive machinery vulnerable to failure and malfunction.
Because the requirements in the National Electrical Code® (NEC) have changed significantly in the past ten years, ESFI also encourages those who work on residential systems to stay up to date on the latest codes and standards.
You can learn more about surges and SPDs with the free to share resources at ESFI’s website, including:
- What are Surge Protective Devices infographic
- Protect Against External Surges video
- SPDs Benefits and Misconceptions infographic
- Surge Protection Highlights video
- SPDs: Protect Your Facility video
- Prevent Facility Downtime video
ABOUT ESFI
The mission of the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is to reduce electrical deaths, injuries, and fires through public education and outreach and by being the trusted voice on electrical safety. For free safety materials that you can share throughout your community, visit esfi.org.
Contact:
Evan Jones
Electrical Safety Foundation International
703.841.3247
evan.jones@esfi.org
