CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTS
60 operating practices related to the critical environment ,” notes John Rimer , President of FM360 Consulting . First , facilities managers handle access control , determining clear guidelines and permissions for who is allowed to access the physical ( and digital ) space , allowing facilities management operatives to better understand who is accessing the data centre , when they are doing it and for what reasons .
Rimer adds that “ Access control feeds into change management , which provides a clear communication channel for informing affected parties of planned ( and unplanned ) maintenance , upgrades , moves , and alterations .” This change management process keeps relevant parties informed of disruptions , as well as planned and unplanned maintenance . “ The change management process identifies potential risks and related mitigation strategies , coordinates access , and provides an opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions to ensure bases are covered ( e . g ., placing the fire suppression system in bypass during an underfloor cable
install ),” he continues . “ This level of communication helps to prevent mishaps , overbooking activity in a space , and stepping on each other ’ s toes . While this adds an administrative burden , any pain it creates is considerably less than the pain that would be felt from an incident that could have been avoided if protocol and process were in place .” He concludes by noting that critical environments require handling with great diligence and dedication if the facility is to avoid disruption .
OCTOBER 2020