Using air sampling smoke detection to protect mission critical facilities from fire

The biggest risk to continuous operation within a computer room after a fire is the smoke damage to electrical equipment, not the flames.

In fact according to the USA Federal Commission of Communications, 95 percent of all damage within computer room and data centre facilities following fires is non-thermal.

The by-products of smoke from PVC and digital circuit boards are gases such as HCL and these gases will cause corrosion of IT equipment. Even at concentrations as low as 16 micrograms per square centimetre there is moderate corrosion with long-term effects on electronics.

This paper discusses smoke detection systems and their role in the prevention of fire and smoke contamination within a mission critical facility.

The paper has been supplied by Vision Systems and, although it contains information aimed at selling smoke detecting systems, it offers enough generic information to make it worth reading.

Download the whitepaper (PDF)

•Date: 8th Dec 2005 •Region: World •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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