Returning electrical equipment to service after a planned maintenance outage creates a unique set of hazards. Facility managers are under stringent time constraints when taking a system out of service, performing necessary maintenance tasks (as well as making unanticipated repairs), and returning the system to service. Common, real-world factors may place workers at great risk as the system is returned to service. This paper seeks to identify those factors and present logical and practical ways to lessen or eliminate risks.