Computers, Servers, Racks And Fire Safety

It's a given that in today's modern world there are very few businesses that do not employ computers in one way or another. Whether it's a simple desktop or laptop in the office to full blown server rooms with rack after rack of blades, they have become common place.
But the big question is, have you provided adequate protection for them? Sure, I bet you have specialist power surge protectors, external batteries for emergency shut down and in some cases even water cooling systems to make them run at their optimal performance levels. You have an external back-up system in place, maybe a raid array too.

You are probably at this point nodding and saying you bet we have. But have you? Think it over a little. Hardware solutions, you have the above in place. No worries about a power cut or surge now. Soft solutions? Virus and Trojan attacks? We have that covered. We even have filters in place to knock out those annoying spam and phishing mails so our staff don't inadvertently infect us.

But what about a fire? It could happen and does happen. It happens more often than people think, and when it does no piece of software or power device is going to stop that PC or server from being completely destroyed. If your data is not backed up and removed to a safe off site location daily then it could literally be your entire business going up in smoke. Not to mention the fact that the lives of your staff would be placed in jeopardy too.

It may not be an issue for a huge corporate firm. They often have full gas suppression systems in place which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you work in a server room you are probably aware of the yellow activation units on the walls to gas the room. You have to get security to deactivate the system when you enter to do some work on a machine.

How about smaller firms though? You may not have millions of dollars of computer kit laying around, but I bet you still have several thousand's worth, not to mention the value of the data.

Well peace of mind is at hand. It comes in several forms. Firstly, in areas where staff are present you can deploy hand portable CO2 extinguishers. They come in various sizes but for an office a 2kg or 5kg model should be fitted. These can be placed near the machinery or better still, by the fire exits so all staff know exactly where to grab a fire extinguisher in the event of an emergency. Most fires start small and are easily tackled by people with the right training.

For rack servers though, there is a good chance no one works near them, or they are left unsupervised 24/7. Well the simple use of a fire trace or automatic extinguisher will protect them.

For a mere fraction of the cost of the server and rack, you could place an FE-36 automatic gas extinguisher which would offer full 24/7 protection in the event of a fire. The gas is harmless to the delicate machinery and will ensure you do not lose data and that your down time is kept to a minimal.

In fact, even huge firms with gas suppression systems still deploy individual automatic extinguishers to racks for added peace of mind. So why delay? Contact your fire officer and protect those systems now. You'll sleep better, I promise.

By: Jake Langwith

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

For more detailed information regarding Automatic Fire Extinguishers and fire safety visit www.a2zfire.co.uk