Data is one of the most valuable assets of any business – so it is crucial to protect it.
However, the telecommunications equipment and computer server cabinets that house that data are often extremely vulnerable to fire hazards. This reality is the key reason why fire-safety experts recommend the use of in-cabinet fire protection systems to safeguard such assets.
There are many advantages with such systems, but the starting point is that they protect from fire a specific cabinet that has been identified as critical for business, rather than flooding the whole room or areas of a business site.
Sleep well at night
Every day, hundreds of businesses around the world suffer from debilitating fires that threaten data assets. In recent years, Australian businesses such as Telstra and UniSuper have experienced major outages because of data centre blazes.
Electrical panels with faulty wires and overloaded circuits increase the risk of destructive fires, but there are advanced fire-suppression systems available which can provide peace of mind for site owners and managers. Importantly, the best systems rely on clean agent gases, rather than water and liquids, to extinguish fires. This makes them safe for people and property.
Such fixed-installation systems for data centres means that if a fire breaks out in a single electrical cabinet, it can be stopped at the source and before any flames or smoke can damage surrounding equipment and rooms. As a result, the damage is minimised to only the local cabinet and just the failed components need to be replaced.
Two market leaders
Internationally renowned brands Firetrace International and Chemori offer two of the most sophisticated in-cabinet fire-suppression solutions on the market and can be installed by Delta Fire for Australian customers.
These systems use pressurised, linear pneumatic tubing technology that can detect a fire within an electrical cabinet and which bursts if a fire ignites. The specific area at risk is then targeted with the extinguishing agent.
The result is that the automatic systems can suppress fires before they grow significantly, which reduces the damage to any panels and also lowers the chance of employees being hurt.
A significant advantage of the Firetrace and Chemori systems is that they can provide around-the-clock fire protection without the need for an electricity source. This is important for many operations that do not have people monitoring their site 24 hours a day.
The two options are ideal for sites such as ports, for example, where massive shipping container cranes require fire-suppression technology to protect the drivers and the port infrastructure in the case of a fire emergency. Cabinet-based applications can mitigate such risks and keep teams operating in a safe environment.
Don’t delay
Site owners and managers should not put off reviews of their disaster plans for crucial data centre operations. Such a review should include determining the right kind of in-cabinet fire-suppression systems for the business.
The best systems on the market feature advanced technology and require pre-installation planning to work properly. So seek advice from experienced fire-safety professionals to ensure you get the right system for the right site and have access to appropriate after-sales service.
When the planning and installation of such fire-suppression systems is properly done, property managers can be assured of the highest levels of protection for crucial data assets.
Don’t take any risks – and don’t put off getting advice.
Data centre fires can destroy critical assets and leave businesses facing days, weeks or months of downtime. Don’t take any risks – and don’t put off getting advice contact us today to take action.
Also read – In-cabinet fire protection systems a must.