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

Sat Dec 15 17:38:18 EST 2018

Awesome reply Mark!

On Sat, 15 Dec 2018 at 11:59, Mark Newton <newton at atdot.dotat.org> wrote:

> Halon was banned at the same time as CFCs in aerosols and refrigerants
> because it's an Ozone depleting gas. There should not be any Halon
> datacentres anywhere in Australia. Probably not anywhere in the world, tbqh.
>
> Aviation is an exempt use, which is why you saw it on your C-17. You can
> buy fixed or portable halon systems intended for deployment in aircraft
> even today (for example:
> https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/h3rhalon.php?clickkey=11303
> -- one of the few few ways you can acquire ozone depleting gasses as a
> retail customer in 2018!)
>
> CO2 is a hazardous gas, and should be pretty rare for fire suppression.
> Possible that there are still some small and/or ancient systems out there,
> but risk assessment under OHS&W legislation ought to have seen them all
> replaced by now.
>
> Datacentres in Australia will be using FM-200 or Inergen. FM-200 can be
> stored in compressed gas or liquid; obviously liquid means the storage
> takes up significantly less volume. FM-200 has fallen out of favor during
> the last five years because it's a greenhouse gas, which makes me regret
> not having a crystal ball when I was putting it in datacentres ten years
> ago :-)
>
> Both of them are engineered solutions which take the room volume into
> account. The goal is to add enough gas to the room to drop the oxygen
> content from 19% to something in the 15%-17% range, which is low enough to
> extinguish most fire but high enough to sustain human life. If you're in
> the room when it goes off you'll end up uncomfortably short of breath (and
> probably very cold!), but you shouldn't suffocate if the system has been
> designed properly.
>
> A complete system will generally also include a pre-action dry pipe deluge
> sprinkler system which can trigger if the gas fails to extinguish the fire.
>
> ... and a good insurance policy. If any of these systems go off, might end
> up with system loss and/or data loss. Hard disks don't like rapid pressure
> changes or large quantities of water, so all bets are off once the VESDA
> trips out.
>
>   - mark
>
>
>
> On 12/13/2018 01:13 PM, Nathan Sullivan wrote:
>
> I remember walking onboard a C-17 Globemaster a year or two ago at
> Amberley, still had Halon installed with proper masks sitting next to the
> buttons. Probably one of those "exempt" / "critical" use cases I'm sure
> being military...
>
> On Thu, Dec 13, 2018 at 12:10 PM Adam Gibson <
> a.gibson at springfieldcitygroup.com> wrote:
>
>> FM200 is still used in a few DC’s in Sydney and Brisbane to my knowledge.
>> But is costly to replace due to environmental charges.
>>
>>
>>
>> In Polaris we check all our bottles in accordance to the fire program
>> (which was approved upon completion with the fire code of that time) which
>> is every year, bottles are check and every month, fire tech comes out to
>> inspect gauges release valves and all control boards. All bottles are to be
>> replaced every 10 years of less and  Co2 bottles to replaced every 3 years.
>>
>>
>>
>> In my opinion, fire is something that is neglected a lot in DC’s.
>>
>>
>>
>> AG
>>
>>
>>
>> Adam Gibson
>>
>> *Head of Data Centres*
>>
>> Springfield City Group
>>
>>
>>
>> t: +61 7 3819 9999
>>
>> f: +61 7 3819 9900
>>
>> m: +61 4 00 807 822
>>
>> e: mailto:a.gibson at springfieldcitygroup.com
>> <a.gibson at springfieldcitygroup.com>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* AusNOG <ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net> *On Behalf Of *Bruce
>> Forster
>> *Sent:* Thursday, 13 December 2018 10:36 AM
>> *To:* chris.ford at inaboxgroup.com.au
>> *Cc:* ausnog at lists.ausnog.net
>> *Subject:* Re: [AusNOG] [AUSNog] : Re Data Centre Fire Suppression Safety
>>
>>
>>
>> Pretty sure halon is banned, but fm200 is the gas used these days?
>>
>>
>>
>> https://www.safelife.az/en/index.php/services/firefighting-by-gas.html
>>
>>
>>
>> Firstly, the most important advantage of the use of chemical gas - it is
>> safe for people and electronic equipment. During fire fighting gas is used
>> in a concentration not to be harmful to human health and life. When using
>> the FM200 gas concentration of oxygen in the room is reduced by 3%. Along
>> with the fact that such a composition of the air is not sufficient to
>> continue the fire, it allows people who are there to breathe.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Dec 13, 2018 at 10:01 AM Chris Ford <
>> chris.ford at inaboxgroup.com.au> wrote:
>>
>> As a university cadet working for IBM in the late 80s I remember getting
>> inducted into the Westpac data centres and getting a long explanation of
>> what to do when the halon system went off – where the breathing gear was,
>> where the exits were, to basically just drop everything and run.
>>
>>
>>
>> Have been inducted into a few DCs in the last 3 years and can’t remember
>> that being part of the induction at all – although given I already knew it
>> I may have just glossed over that part.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Chris Ford
>>
>> Chief Technology Officer
>>
>>
>>
>> *INABOX GROUP*
>>
>> *m* 0401 988 844 *e* chris.ford at inaboxgroup.com.au
>>
>> *t* 02 8275 6871 *w* www.inaboxgroup.com.au
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* AusNOG <ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net> *On Behalf Of *Paul
>> Wilkins
>> *Sent:* Thursday, 13 December 2018 10:53 AM
>> *To:* AusNOG at lists.ausnog.net
>> *Subject:* [AusNOG] [AUSNog] : Re Data Centre Fire Suppression Safety
>>
>>
>>
>> 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://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/12/antarctica-two-technicians-dead-mcmurdo-station-ross-island>,
>> 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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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Bruce
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