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

Sun Dec 16 11:16:25 EST 2018

Interestingly (well, ok, debateable), FM200 is a HFC gas, and so is being
phased out
<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwiGj8Wlh6PfAhUEAXIKHdUPCP8QFjAAegQICRAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.environment.gov.au%2Fsystem%2Ffiles%2Fresources%2F89680d9c-b867-488e-bca0-a63d450bc781%2Ffiles%2Fgaseous-fire-suppression-systems-australia-stage-1.docx&usg=AOvVaw0rwtO-qsRURkemrmVcoTM8>
.

Following a Review of the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas
Management Program, on 30 March 2017 the Minister for the Environment and
Energy, the Hon Josh Frydenberg MP, introduced the *Ozone Protection and
Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Legislation Amendment Bill 2017* into
Parliament. On the 19 June 2017 this legislation passed through Parliament.
The key measure included in the Amendment Bill is the introduction of a
phase-down of HFC imports commencing in 2018 and includes a range of
complementary compliance and enforcement powers.

In relation to the Fire Protection Services Industry this legislation will
commence a phasedown of the most popular gas used within the industry.
*FM200*® (a SGG) is widely utilised due to its physical properties and
fire-fighting effectiveness compared to other non-scheduled gases. The fire
protection services industry will need to transition over the coming
decades to enable this phasedown to occur whilst still providing optimal
essential safety measures.

On Sat, 15 Dec 2018 at 17:39, Jason Leschnik <jason at leschnik.me> wrote:

> 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
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AusNOG mailing list
>>> AusNOG at lists.ausnog.net
>>> http://lists.ausnog.net/mailman/listinfo/ausnog
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Bruce
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AusNOG mailing list
>>> AusNOG at lists.ausnog.net
>>> http://lists.ausnog.net/mailman/listinfo/ausnog
>>>
>>
>>
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