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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Hi all,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Re the Equinex/NEXTDC bit;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Depends a bit on the detail. Water is cheaper to install and maintain based on the unlikely event you ever have to use it. I’m not a
big fan of mixing water and electricity though, unless you guarantee you can isolate the power first.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Modern gas systems (Inergen, FM200) etc which is what the NextDC ones sound like, are Oxygen depleting, but gererally speaking, down
to around 10-12% Oxygen. Enough to maintain life, but not enough for fire to continue burning. This is about same amount of Oxygen at Everest base camp, beathable, but not something you’re going to want to run a marathon in! There are specific calculations
made based on the volume of the space and the height to which you want to protect. Gas does becomes quite an expensive proposition for large spaces.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">From all I’ve read and had recounted to me it is not a pleasant experience and would possibly cause a burst eardrum or too in the process.
Having seen an accidental discharge (during a fire system maintenance process where someone accidently swapped the isolate and emergency discharge relays!) in a small comms room, there were no lasting effects to the room and all active equipment kept running.
Visibility does become an issue as its like being in a pea souper fog. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><a href="https://www.nist.gov/document-8749">https://www.nist.gov/document-8749</a> for reference on Inergen. Google will pop up the
FM200 one too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">In our modest sized data centres we have a 1 minute delay timer from VESDA detection of a fire (requiring multiple sensor confirmation)
to firing of the gas. Once confirmed, loud hailers and flashing LED signs go off, making it impossible not to know to that you need to evacuate.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Our one minute is based on the maximum time it would take someone to walk to the exit from the furthest point in the room plus a 30 second
buffer. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Entry doors have large signs and instructions on what to do which are covered on induction of the very limited number of people allowed
in there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">All of our installs (oldest is 8 years, newest is 2 years) had to be signed off and approved by building and fire inspectors and receive
maintenance inspections every 6 months and monthly fire panel operation tests. There was a standard they had to be signed off to, but can’t recall it at the moment.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">I’m not across how halon systems we loaded/dispersed, or what system was used in Antarctica (but as it is a power generator room mentioned,
assuming they’re still using Halon.), however our systems discharge via an explosive firing pin at the bottle head which is a pretty binary state system and means the pipes are empty. They also have a hardwired pressure sensor that alarms (and sets off the
evacuation alarm) if there is a pressure change in the bottle. Best practice also has the bottles in a separate room to the data room.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Pure speculation, however Antarctica’s temperature may have caused unknown factors such as a fractured pipe or valve from extreme exposure
over time, or as it was a power generator building, there may have even been a flashover event causing a ‘valid’ discharge.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Nick <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Nicholas</span></b><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0"> </span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Hobbs</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Chief Technology Officer</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
</span><b><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">Epworth HealthCare</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0">(03) 9426 8840<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#0070C0"><a href="https://www.epworth.org.au" title=""><span style="color:#0070C0">epworth.org.au</span></a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Christopher Hawker [mailto:me@chrishawker.com.au]
<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, 13 December 2018 11:22 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Paul Wilkins <paulwilkins369@gmail.com>; ausnog@lists.ausnog.net<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [AusNOG] [AUSNog] : Re Data Centre Fire Suppression Safety<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We all will be safe in Equinix DCs, as they don’t use Halon:
<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">“We use dry pipe fire suppression, which means there’s no water in the pipes until it’s needed to put out the fire. We think water is superior to using the firefighting chemical compound Halon, because water Is less damaging to technology
and Halon can destroy circuit cards.”<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Source: <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__blog.equinix.com_blog_2014_03_26_we-2Dmust-2Dprotect-2Dthis-2Dhouse-2Dagainst-2Ddisaster_&d=DwMGaQ&c=jQ6ay83CVmgj5V11xW3UtQ&r=XSpfCkuf0gREgFjFByhNqraj4jS59-taMO3up43SKvc&m=O8q8e7jPwBXgiTPzGQ04UZdS4GIhELvgE5vEAWLS_Fs&s=NulTIo5GXGMyc6NdItwQO3iS7ANu5lrAIG3yGjHbWT0&e=">
https://blog.equinix.com/blog/2014/03/26/we-must-protect-this-house-against-disaster/</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Can’t say the same for NextDC (M1 at the very least:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">“This is because gas is a mixture of argon and nitrogen that suppresses fire by depleting oxygen in the the data hall.”<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Source: <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nextdc.com_blog_m1-2Dargonite-2Dfire-2Dsuppression-2Dgas-2Dcylinders&d=DwMGaQ&c=jQ6ay83CVmgj5V11xW3UtQ&r=XSpfCkuf0gREgFjFByhNqraj4jS59-taMO3up43SKvc&m=O8q8e7jPwBXgiTPzGQ04UZdS4GIhELvgE5vEAWLS_Fs&s=xqL__k_IViamNwFJvZU3yZD89GQukJZbjqNfBXo3CqM&e=">
https://www.nextdc.com/blog/m1-argonite-fire-suppression-gas-cylinders</a><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">CH<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Sent from my iPhone<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><br>
On 13 Dec 2018, at 10:53 am, Paul Wilkins <<a href="mailto:paulwilkins369@gmail.com">paulwilkins369@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Every data centre has a fire suppression system. We're not used to thinking of this as a hazardous environment, but consequent to
<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.theguardian.com_world_2018_dec_12_antarctica-2Dtwo-2Dtechnicians-2Ddead-2Dmcmurdo-2Dstation-2Dross-2Disland&d=DwMGaQ&c=jQ6ay83CVmgj5V11xW3UtQ&r=XSpfCkuf0gREgFjFByhNqraj4jS59-taMO3up43SKvc&m=O8q8e7jPwBXgiTPzGQ04UZdS4GIhELvgE5vEAWLS_Fs&s=nAxwziO7XT3VjNOkiN2qYMyZdVO0F6mqvnTMKCbjCvE&e=">
two techs being found dead working on a fire suppression system in Antarctica</a>, I find myself wondering yet again, why there aren't more stringent controls around the fire suppression systems in data centres: viz - when you enter a data centre, how confident
can you be you're not going to be quietly asphyxiated?<br>
<br>
Kind regards<br>
<br>
Paul Wilkins<o:p></o:p></p>
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