QTS typically uses specialized storage containers and shelving units that are designed to be fire-resistant. We do this for several reasons:
- Environmental: Shipping material, including cardboard, is very porous. When placed on a data center floor with high airflow the particulates are likely to be ingested into the IT gear potentially causing damage or failure.
- Fire Hazard: Shipping, cardboard, and various other materials aren’t allowed in the data hall. In the event that electrical equipment has a shortage or causes a spark – a small event can become a catastrophic event if combined with combustible material.
- Trip Hazards: Cardboard and boxes left on the floor can create trip hazards for our employees. This is particularly dangerous in a data center environment, where QTSers and customers operate within and around electrical infrastructure and fragile IT systems.
Watch David McCall, Director of Innovation explain more about cardboard on the floor of a data center hall and it’s implications.
