Three Simple Safety Tips for Data Centers

Data centers are becoming an irreplaceable part of any modern business enterprise. As more business critical data moves to data centers, safety of both the data and the center has become a crucial consideration today. Here are 3 basic (and must-do) safety tips for your data center –

Noise Pollution

Data center hardware including computers, big cooling fans and other buzzers and alarms create a racket that can prove very disturbing for data center employees. High ambient noise may even lead to ear infections and the need for hearing impairments if not controlled. Using sound absorbing materials on roofs and ceilings instead of reflectors, and using server racks designed to contain noise is a good way to keep the decibels down.

Cable management

A data center is meant to be an abode of cables and wires. If not properly arranged on racks and stands, they pose a serious threat of getting in the way of troubleshooting procedures, and could cause employees to tangled in the wire mesh as a tripping hazard. So proper cable management techniques should be adopted. Raised flooring or overhead cable management can also help.

Fire Safety

The more the number of electrical components, the higher the chance of a fire breaking out. So there needs to be a constant access to water and other fire suppression systems to prevent a fire from spreading. Cardboard and combustibles must be minimized or eliminated in the data center to reduce risk.

Safety is one aspect that cannot be ignored in a data center environment, as there are lives on the line in addition to the numerous business risks involved if a safety failure results in disruption of the data center operation.

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.