Data Center Rules and Regulations

Overview

In addition to any other rules and regulations observed by the applicable QTS Affiliate1(“QTS”), the following facility site rules and regulations must be upheld by all customer personnel (“Customer”) and contracted service personnel of Customer or QTS (including contractors and subcontractors, together “Contractor”) working at or on the land or data center buildings of QTS or those utilized by QTS (“Data Center” or “Building”).

 

With respect to Customers, capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meaning such terms are given in the Master Agreement. With respect to third parties and vendors, capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the same meaning such terms are given in the underlying agreement with QTS.

 

Customers and Contractors (hereinafter “you” or “your”) are required to follow the standards, designs, and installation criteria of QTS. These Data Center Rules and Regulations (together “Rules”) are applicable at all QTS Data Centers. No deviation or exception to the Rules shall be permitted without the express written approval of the Site Director, Security Operations Manager, Federal Security Manager, QTS Data Center Operations Manager or Site Director’s designee (together “Manager”).

 

For purposes of these Rules, “Data Center Floor” shall mean the secure raised floor space or slab floor housing network and IT equipment.

On-premises Work

On-site supervision of Customer and Contractor personnel is required by Manager/Permanent Badge Holder (as defined below) whenever work is performed at the Data Center.

 

All work must follow the site rules and standard design criteria provided by QTS, which shall be reviewed and approved by Manager. Before work is approved or commences, written work descriptions, methods of procedure, statements of work, specifications, drawings, and submittals are required for review and approval.

  1. Anyone found tampering with or working on any Building operations system without authorization shall be immediately removed from the Data Center. The offending party shall be held liable for any damages, or any operating costs associated with their actions.
  2. Any work involving paint, glue, paste, or odor-causing activities must be scheduled after hours, in the Manager’s reasonable discretion.
  3. The entry doors to stairwells and electrical, mechanical, MDF, and Data Center rooms shall be kept closed at all times except to the extent Manager or member of Security provides permission to keep an entry door open.
  4. Only radios used for communication are allowed.
  5. Materials containing combustibles or Volatile Organic Compounds (“VOCs”) are prohibited from use.
  6. Sawing, grinding, welding, or torch-cutting is not permitted without approval by Manager.
  7. Hammering, drilling, or similar coring and concrete-penetration activities are not permitted without prior approval by Manager.
  8. Emergency work shall be scheduled on a case-by-case basis as approved by Manager and applicable permitting approved at the site, subject to these Rules.
  9. Any complaint of noise or odor shall constitute a basis to stop the project immediately to ascertain steps necessary to eliminate the noise or odor. Additional work may continue after hours, at your expense. You may be penalized if the noise or odor contributes to the project being completed late or off-schedule; such penalty to be determined by Manager.
  10. Parking shall be in designated areas only as determined by Manager.

Precautionary Measures

  1. You must maintain the highest professional standard of service workmanship in all QTS facilities, which shall be acceptable to Manager’s sole discretion. You shall correct all work that Manager deems to be unsatisfactory at your sole expense.
  2. You must work with great diligence and caution to avoid service interruption to the Data Center Floor and its systems, to avoid damage to the Data Center, and to protect Building finishes. Any outage or damages that occur must be reported to Manager and be repaired by the offending party in a manner acceptable to Manager, or damage shall be repaired at cost determined by Manager and the offending party shall be held financially responsible.
  3. In addition to conforming with safety procedures generally employed in performing work, you shall abide by all QTS safety and security regulations for the Data Center.
  4. You must comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including those relating to safety and security.
  5. Any equipment that you use or install must be approved by Manager and be Underwriter Laboratories (UL)-listed (or equivalent).
  6. According to the National Electrical Installation Standards, the maximum utilization on any primary power circuit or primary/redundant circuit pair is 80% of the maximum capacity of the primary power circuit or 80% across the primary/redundant circuit pair.

Customer shall take the necessary precautions to avoid exceeding 80% utilization on any primary power circuit or across the primary/redundant circuit pair.

 

In the event your utilization exceeds 80% of maximum capacity on any primary power circuit or across the primary/redundant circuit pair, you shall not be entitled to any power related remedies or service level credits.

Customer and Contractor Personnel

  1. Customer and Contractor employees are not employees of QTS or Manager. These Rules shall not establish any relationship of partnership, employment, franchise, or agency.
  2. You are expressly forbidden to use lobby entries to bring in tools or materials.
  3. Passenger elevators are not to be used to move materials.
  4. You must conduct yourself in a professional manner at all times. No abusive/foul language in any language shall be tolerated.
  5. You must treat QTS and its employees with the utmost courtesy and respect. QTS must treat you with the utmost courtesy and respect.
  6. Any problems or special requests from QTS or its employees are to be immediately reported to Manager. All work activities performed are to be coordinated solely by Manager.
  7. Telephones in shared customer areas and kiosks are for Customer use. Contractor may use telephones only with prior approval of Manager.
  8. All workers must be properly and visibly identified at all times. Badges provided by QTS are to be displayed at all times while at the Data Center.
  9. Manager reserves the right to remove your personnel from Manager’s list of approved Customer and Contractor personnel should the above rules not be followed.
  10. Manager has the right to require you to remove from your work force at any QTS location any person deemed incompetent, careless, or otherwise objectionable; or any person whose actions are deemed to be contrary to public interests or inconsistent with the best interest of QTS, Manager, or the Data Center.
  11. Offenses that shall result in an immediate request for exclusion from the Data Center include, but are not limited to:
    • Drinking of any beverages on the Data Center Floor or coming to the Data Center in an intoxicated condition.
    • Possessing or consuming alcohol, drugs, or other illegal substances while at the Data Center.
    • Using or removing QTS’, Manager’s, or QTS employees' possessions from the Data Center without prior authorization. You shall be responsible and shall reimburse Manager for any and all pilferage of the Data Center or its contents by Contractor or Customer.
    • Violating any federal, state, or local statutes or safety codes while working at the Data Center.
    • Possessing weapons or firearms while inside the Data Center.
    • Accepting commissions, kickbacks, or fees from any vendors, tenants, or contractors involved in providing a service or product to the Data Center.
    • Physically abusing or harming any individual who works at or visits the Data Center.
    • Duplicating any keys used at the Data Center.
    • Providing access at any time to the Data Center to anyone not on the approved access list or with a proper visitor ticket.
    • Failing to enter and exit the Data Center through the proper entrance using your own badge (i.e., no tailgating is permitted).
    • Storing flammable substances at the Data Center without approval in writing by Manager and not in accordance with approved Building codes and regulations.
    • Interviewing job applicants or subcontractors on-site without prior approval by Manager.
    • Propping doors open or holding doors open to the degree that such shall cause an alarm or jeopardize security without prior approval of Manager. You shall be responsible for any charges resulting from such alarms and security violations.
    • Working in unauthorized areas or without authorization.
  12. You agree to abide by and follow the Rules. All exceptions to the Rules are subject to Manager’s discretion.

General Access

Persons desiring admission to the Data Center Floor on your behalf must be listed on your access roster (“Customer Access Roster”). Upon clearing the main Security Desk (“Security”) in the lobby, persons may enter the Data Center. To access the Data Center Floor, visitors are required to present one of the following forms of identification:

Falsifying or withholding one’s identity or refusing to cooperate with Security personnel is a violation of these Rules. Anyone reasonably requested to leave the Data Center for a violation of these Rules must do so peacefully and immediately.

Certificate of Insurance

All Contractors performing work in the Data Center must provide QTS with a Certificate of Insurance naming QualityTech, LP, as an additional insured. An updated Certificate of Insurance must be provided to QualityTech, LP, annually. Notwithstanding the foregoing, these Rules shall be subordinate to the terms of any agreement signed by Contractor and QTS.

Security

Single Point of Entrance: Your personnel are required to enter and exit through Security. This single point of entrance maximizes security for all QTS customers by ensuring positive identification of individuals entering the Data Center. A QTS identification badge (“Badge”) must be prominently displayed on your person at all times while at the Data Center.

 

Check-in/Check-out for Temporary Badge Access: Upon arrival, you must register your visit with Security by presenting a government-issued ID or a QTS-issued badge. Upon verification, Security shall enter a floor access ticket that records your visit and notifies Security of your location on the Data Center Floor in the event of an emergency. Upon your departure, you must return your temporary badge to Security, and close out your visit. If you are working at the Data Center for the day and need to depart and return multiple times, you must check in and check out with Security each time you return and depart.

 

Check-in/Check-out for QTS-issued Badge Holders: Upon arrival, you must swipe your QTS-issued badge (“Permanent Badge”) at the badge reader to access the Data Center. You must swipe your Permanent Badge at the badge reader each time you depart and return.

 

Access by Customer to the Data Center Floor: If you desire admission to the Data Center Floor, you must be listed on the Customer Access Roster (i.e., be a Permanent Badge holder or have a visitor access request approved in the QTS Reservation System/ServiceNow). If you do not have a Permanent Badge, you shall be denied access unless your identity can be verified via the Customer Access Roster. Upon verification, you shall be issued a “Temporary Badge” and a Critical Operation Technician (“COT”) or Security shall escort you to the Data Center Floor. Only those individuals with roster management capabilities, as designated on the Customer Access Roster, have the authority to grant access to Customer’s space. If you attempt to enter but are not listed on the Customer Access Roster, Security shall instruct you to contact your primary company contact to authorize access with the Operations Service Center (“OSC”). If this authorization cannot be obtained, you shall be denied access.

 

Access by Customer or Customer-approved Contractor to the Meet-Me-Room: Customer is not permitted to access the physical telecommunication rooms (“Meet-Me-Rooms”) in the Data Center except to the extent that Customer leases space from QTS in the Meet-Me-Room. If Customer leases space from QTS in the Meet-Me-Room, all Customer and Customer-approved Contractors shall require a QTS escort to access the Meet-Me-Room at the current Remote Hands fee. A Remote Hands fee shall apply to "stay" escorts where QTS or Security stay with the Customer-approved Contractor/visitor/guest at all times in the Meet-Me-Room.

 

Access by Customer-approved Contractors, Visitors, and Guests to the Customer’s Space: A QTS escort for a Customer-approved Contractor/visitor/guest to the Customer’s space shall be subject to the current Remote Hands fee. A Remote Hands fee shall apply to:

Badges: Fifteen badges are allowed for Customer at no additional charge. A $40 charge shall be invoiced for each Temporary Badge that is printed over the allowed limit. All badge requests must be submitted at least 48 hours in advance. Badges shall be issued by appointment only.

 

Doors: Propping doors open or holding doors open to the degree that such shall cause alarms to sound or jeopardize security is prohibited, without prior permission from Manager or Security. You must use your Temporary Badge or Permanent Badge at all security devices; tailgating and “piggy backing” are prohibited.

 

Keys: Duplicating keys used at the Data Center is prohibited.

Safety and Evacuation Rules

Permitted Access: Children under the age of 16 are not allowed on the Data Center Floor.

 

Safety Issues: Work space and the Data Center Floor are to be clean, free of combustible materials and cardboard, and clear of obstructions. Subject to the terms of QTS’ Master Agreement or lease with Customer, QTS reserves the right to inspect space leased by Customer for compliance with respect to this section of the Rules. Public areas including corridors, freight elevators, and loading docks must remain clean at all times. Electrical rooms, mechanical rooms, and Data Center cabinets, cages, and suites may not to be used as storage rooms or staging areas.

 

Open-toed shoes/sandals/flip-flops are not permitted on the Data Center Floor. You must abide by all QTS safety and security regulations for the Data Center, as well as all federal, state, and local regulations.

 

The use of skateboards, scooters, or any motorized forms of transportation is prohibited in the Data Center.

 

Emergency Evacuation: If the emergency horns and strobes activate, you must evacuate the Data Center immediately. Do not attempt to gather your belongings. If you are on the Data Center Floor, find the closest emergency exit door and evacuate to the front of the Building. If you are in an office area, find the closest stairwell and evacuate to the front of the Building. Please advise Manager if you plan to leave the Data Center grounds so QTS may confirm that you have evacuated the Data Center.

 

In the event of a weather emergency, do not leave the Data Center. Listen for instructions and directions to move to an interior location of the Data Center.

Shipping and Receiving

Delivery of Equipment to the Data Center Floor: All equipment entering and leaving the Data Center must do so through the Receiving Department. A pass must be obtained from Security after checking in to leave equipment in or retrieve equipment from the warehouse. Hardware should be unboxed in the Receiving Area or Configuration Area to prevent unnecessary packaging material from entering the Data Center Floor. Personal effects such as a laptop may enter through the front entrance.

 

Incoming Shipments: QTS shall reject or ship back to the “shipped from” address at Customer’s risk and expense any shipment that does not comply with the following:

If Customer fails to remove (or causes to be removed) the shipment from the temporary holding area within five days of QTS receiving the shipment, QTS may remove and return Customer’s shipment to Customer at Customer’s risk and expense. If QTS is unable to make arrangements to return Customer’s shipment after attempts to contact Customer, or if Customer fails to pay for the shipping costs, QTS may, at Customer’s risk and expense: (i) immediately remove Customer’s shipment and store it at an on-site or off-site location; or (ii) upon prior written notice to Customer, QTS may consider the shipment to be abandoned under the laws of jurisdiction where the Data Center is located, and liquidate or otherwise dispose of such shipment and retain the proceeds.

 

For avoidance of doubt, QTS receives incoming shipments only as an accommodation to Customers, and QTS shall not be responsible for or incur liability as a result of storage of Customer equipment delivered to the Receiving Area or removed from the Data Center Floor. It is hereby understood and agreed that QTS in no way purports to be a bailee and is therefore not responsible in any way for any lost shipments, misplaced shipments, or damage to Customer shipments or equipment.

 

Customer is responsible for encrypting any data residing on Customer equipment shipped to the Data Center. For purposes of these Rules, “encrypt” or “encryption” means the use of an algorithmic process to transform data into a form in which there is a low probability of assigning meaning without use of a confidential process or key. The failure to encrypt any such Customer equipment shall be deemed a material breach of the Agreement. Customer shall indemnify, defend, and hold QTS harmless from any and all liability, claim, lawsuit, injury, loss, expense, or damage resulting from the failure to encrypt Customer equipment. Any limitation of liability contained in any Master Agreement between the parties shall not apply to the indemnification requirement of this provision. This provision shall survive the termination of the Agreement.

 

Packaging Materials on the Data Center Floor: Cardboard and other flammable or dust-producing materials are not permitted on the Data Center Floor (including Meet-Me Rooms and Customer spaces). If Customer is bringing boxed equipment to install in the Data Center, Customer may use the Receiving Area or Configuration Area to unpack equipment.

 

If cardboard or other flammable materials are left in Customer’s space on the Data Center Floor, or in Meet-Me Rooms, a ticket shall be opened for notification and assistance with removal. If the situation is not resolved in a reasonable time frame, the packaging materials shall be removed by COT and Remote Hands fees may apply.

Delivery and Disposal of Materials

  1. You shall not transport materials onto the Data Center Floor without providing Manager a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet (“MSDS”) for each material. You shall maintain copies of the MSDS documents at the Data Center near the work areas where the materials are used and in any storage areas where the materials are stored.
  2. All materials must be delivered using the loading dock, freight elevator, or service corridors. You are required to use loading docks, freight elevator, or stairs only.
  3. Work space must be kept clean and left in a clean condition daily to Manager’s satisfaction. No cardboard is permitted on the Data Center Floor at any time. If found by QTS, Customer shall be invoiced at the Remote Hands rate for time spent removing same.
  4. No disposal of debris is permitted in the Building recycling compactor without prior approval by QTS. If debris is found in the Building recycling compactor, the offending party shall be billed for the trash haul. You shall be responsible for compliance of all subcontractors under your direction. Materials, equipment, and debris must be contained within the work space in a neat and orderly fashion.

Data Center Operations

Prohibited Materials: You are prohibited from storing cardboard, particulate matters, data processing equipment, or supporting cables in Customer’s space.

 

Tools: You should be prepared to be self-sufficient. Tools (ladders, screwdrivers, cables, testing equipment) shall not be provided by COT for use.

 

Cage Nuts and Screws: If needed, extra cage nuts and screws for Customer’s cabinet-racked equipment are available at no additional cost.

 

Assistance: Installation of equipment is a billable service. If assistance is needed with equipment installation, a ticket must be opened with the OSC. COT is available to answer any questions and provide limited assistance.

 

Cabinet Identification: Non-QTS identification may not be placed on the exterior of Customer’s cabinet, cage, or suite.

 

Mobile Phones: Because of physical impediments, mobile phones may not function on the Data Center Floor. Telephones may be plugged into the Plain Old Telephone Service (“POTS”) line inside Customer’s space if available.

 

Cameras: Cameras and video surveillance equipment are not permitted at the Data Center without prior approval. Customer wishing to take photos should request a “Photography Application” from Security. The application must be approved by QTS prior to any photos being taken. Security must escort the individual to and on the Data Center Floor to take pictures of the area listed on the application. If Customer would like to deploy video surveillance equipment, Customer should submit a request to their account executive. Requirements shall be gathered and a formal review by QTS shall be conducted before approval is provided. Additional costs to install visual obstruction materials may be required.

 

Two-way Radios: To prevent electrical interference with existing equipment, two-way radios are not allowed on the Data Center Floor.

General

Floor Tiles: You are prohibited from covering the ventilated tiles in Customer’s space. At no time may you remove the floor tiles on the Data Center Floor without Manager’s express consent. Should you need access under the floor tiles, please contact Manager. If you are found tampering with or working under the raised floor, or on any Building operations system without authorization, you shall be removed from the Building immediately and held liable for any damages or operating costs associated with your actions. QTS must approve and supervise any required Customer or Contractor work under the Data Center Floor, and you shall be billed for this supervision time at the current Remote Hands rate.

 

Smoking and Tobacco Products: The Data Centers are nonsmoking facilities. Smoking and smokeless tobacco products (e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco, etc.) are not permitted at the Data Center except in the designated smoking area. Please see Security for the location.

Food and beverages are prohibited on the Data Center Floor. Food and beverages may be served in designated areas of the office space or visitor areas.

 

Alcohol and drugs are strictly prohibited. You may not be under the influence or in possession of alcohol, illegal drugs, or other intoxicants while at the Data Center.

 

Weapons and firearms are strictly prohibited at the Data Center.

 

Suite Customers: A barrier of three feet must be kept clear around all mechanical and electrical equipment. Doorways should be free of clutter in case of emergency.

 

Batteries are not allowed in customer racks, on the data center floor or in the Meet Me Rooms unless specifically approved in writing by QTS in a Work Order.

 

Personal Belongings: You are solely responsible for your personal belongings and property while in the Data Center.

 

Additional Caveats: You may not touch, inspect, document, or engage in any form of tampering with equipment not specifically covered by Customer’s contract. The foregoing activity is strictly prohibited and if you are seen engaging in such activity, you shall be reported to Security, and may be subject to expulsion from the Data Center and reporting to law enforcement officials.

 

Reporting: You and any visitors agree to report any violation of these Rules or any other suspicious/improper activity to QTS or Security.

 

All persons on the Data Center Floor consent to being monitored by Security and recording devices to ensure a safe and secure work environment.

Customer, Visitor, or Contractor Misconduct

Misconduct is prohibited at the Data Center. It includes, but is not limited to, the following examples:

Persons violating this policy shall be escorted to the lobby and required to leave the Data Center immediately.

 

At QTS’ sole discretion, persons evicted for a violation of these Rules may not be allowed to re-enter the Data Center or any other QTS facility.

Consent and Release to Collect Biometric Information

Upon provisioning of a badge, and when accessing a QTS site, a consent and release shall be obtained that allows QTS to engage in the collection of certain biometric information, which may include biometric identifiers and biometric information, defined to include personal information about an individual’s physical characteristics that can be used to identify that person (“Biometric Data”). Biometric Data can include fingerprints; voiceprints; facial shape; or scan of finger, hand, iris imagery, or face geometry. QTS collects Biometric Data to provide secure access to Data Centers or Data Center space.

 

 

Updated on: 7/24/2024

 

1“QTS Affiliate” means any entity that is owned, directly or indirectly, by QualityTech, LP, or any successor to QualityTech, LP.

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