Stepping into a data centre as a new contractor or new customer often means going through an induction process, which can sometimes feel like an unnecessary hurdle, particularly if it’s not your not first rodeo and you’re eager to get started!

This article will explain the purpose of why data centres insist on this critical task and what you can expect from a Data Centre Induction.

Getting Registered and Setup with Security

Upon arriving at the data centre for the first times, one of the first step is to get you registered into the system and in many cases issued with an ID card, photo & biometrics fingerprints taken, and the correct accessed assigned. Depending on the Data Centre, the staff may outline the basic facility security rules such as ‘Never let anyone else use your credentials’ and how to contact security in an emergency.

This process can take quite a bit of time depending on the data centre and you may be required to produce Photo Identification.

Safety Training

Safety is a top priority in most workplaces, and data centres can present many risks.

The site induction should walk you through everything you need to know – from understanding emergency procedures in the event of a fire and where to meet, what personal protective equipment (PPE) that might be required such as hearing protection, mitigating potential dangers like not looking into fibre optic cables and the requirement to apply for permission for certain types of work (ie hot permits)

Orientation: Finding Your Way Around

Data Centres can be large intimidating places.

Most induction includes a quick orientation of the facility to make sure you feel comfortable and know where all the workspaces, break areas, toilets, kitchens and emergency exits. More in-depth inductions may cover some of the more features of the facility such as a tour to see the generators, cooling towers and interconnect rooms.

Understanding the Data Centre Rules & Procedures

Every data centre has a set of rules designed to keep things running smoothly and safely. The induction will cover these basics, like how to handle equipment safely, keeping your ID on you at all times, areas where food, drinks and card board are a no-go, not to use any heat generating tools without approval and any other site-specific guidelines.

These rules might sound strict, but they’re in place to protect the critical systems you’ll be working around. Accidentally setting off a fire alarm and causing the gas suppression system to activate for example could cost into the millions! Some of the more common rules data centres have are discussed in our article 10 Rules Data Centres Take Seriously

It is also very likely additional procedures and policies will be outlined, such as

• Arranging Visitor & Contractor Access
• Best practices for installing your equipment (Dual power feeds, blanking plates, server lifts)
• How to Ship equipment to the data centre
• How to book equipment and rooms
• How to raise and escalate tickets with the Data Centre for incidents and requests

If you have any questions with these rules and procedures or want clarity need further clarity, be sure to ask.

Liability & Risk Mitigation

As with any large organisation, data centres run off paperwork and have legal teams to appease.
Having documented proof and a procedure that everyone who passes through the doors is trained on the facility and associated policies is an important process to help minimise risk and help protect the datacentre should an incident or injury occur.

Conclusion

Data Centre Inductions can feel like aircraft safety demonstrations, informative for the first few times and less relevant the more times you hear it. While the information is often very similar, Inductions are still a very essential onboarding process to get the paperwork in order, finer differences between facilities pointed out and everyone is on the same page