[AusNOG] [AUSNog] : Re Data Centre Fire Suppression Safety

Thu Dec 13 13:18:54 EST 2018

There are Nozzles that can solve this issue with Inergen & FM200 systems,
such as the awesomely named Hush Nozzle -
http://www.fire-protection.com.au/news/hush-nozzle

On Thu, 13 Dec 2018 at 12:15, Seamus Ryan <seamus at plur.com.au> wrote:

> >> 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.
>
> It is probably less of an issue these days with the uptake of SSD's, but
> it is also worth noting the impact to HDD's this can have.
>
> Seamus
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* AusNOG <ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net> on behalf of Nicholas
> Hobbs <Nicholas.Hobbs at epworth.org.au>
> *Sent:* Thursday, 13 December 2018 12:54 PM
> *To:* ausnog at lists.ausnog.net
> *Subject:* Re: [AusNOG] [AUSNog] : Re Data Centre Fire Suppression Safety
>
>
> Hi all,
>
>
>
> Re the Equinex/NEXTDC bit;
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> https://www.nist.gov/document-8749 for reference on Inergen. Google will
> pop up the FM200 one too.
>
>
>
>
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> 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.
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> Nick
>
>
>
>
> *Nicholas* *Hobbs*
> *Chief Technology Officer*
> *Epworth HealthCare*
>
> Phone:
>
> (03) 9426 8840
>
> Fax:
>
> (03) 9097 0062
>
> Mobile:
>
> 0417 438 322
>
>
> epworth.org.au <https://www.epworth.org.au>
>
> [image: Epworth Logo]
>
> *From:* Christopher Hawker [mailto:me at chrishawker.com.au]
> *Sent:* Thursday, 13 December 2018 11:22 AM
> *To:* Paul Wilkins <paulwilkins369 at gmail.com>; ausnog at lists.ausnog.net
> *Subject:* Re: [AusNOG] [AUSNog] : Re Data Centre Fire Suppression Safety
>
>
>
> We all will be safe in Equinix DCs, as they don’t use Halon:
>
>
>
> “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.”
>
>
>
> Source:
> https://blog.equinix.com/blog/2014/03/26/we-must-protect-this-house-against-disaster/
> <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=>
>
>
>
> Can’t say the same for NextDC (M1 at the very least:
>
>
>
> “This is because gas is a mixture of argon and nitrogen that suppresses
> fire by depleting oxygen in the the data hall.”
>
>
>
> Source:
> https://www.nextdc.com/blog/m1-argonite-fire-suppression-gas-cylinders
> <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=>
>
>
>
> CH
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On 13 Dec 2018, at 10:53 am, Paul Wilkins <paulwilkins369 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Every data centre has a fire suppression system. We're not used to
> thinking of this as a hazardous environment, but consequent to two techs
> being found dead working on a fire suppression system in Antarctica
> <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=>,
> 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?
>
> Kind regards
>
> Paul Wilkins
>
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>
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-- 
Email: pat at ge3k.net
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