Toronto Electricians and Electrical Contractors

In a previous blog post I outlined why running an effective data center operations team involves many of the same elements as running a successful high-performance race car team. In this post I’m going to stick with the car analogy to explain the difference between a traditional facilities maintenance team and a critical facility operations team, such as those that handle data center operations . Think of traditional facility maintenance, such as for an office building, as the local garage where you bring your car for routine repairs. Critical facility operations, on the other hand, is like a Formula 1 race car team. At least nine elements differentiate the two teams: Professionalism Precision/accuracy Standards/regulations Performance monitoring Documentation/reporting Emergency preparedness Financial risk Safety Security Professionalism, precision, and standards Critical facility operations programs require a high level of professionalism in terms of mindset and attit...

Customers often ask me why an electrical shutdown is needed for a modernization project. Most say they can’t afford downtime. But here’s why a scheduled outage is absolutely necessary. While it’s understandable that an interruption is not ideal for facility operations, safety is of utmost importance. Powering down and de-energizing equipment for modernization eliminates arc flash hazard, removes the chance of damaging equipment and mitigates shock and electrocution danger. These safe conditions ensure engineers, field service reps, contractors and anyone involved in the project are protected. Also, without a scheduled outage you don’t get an overall picture of the equipment condition. Frequently, when engineers perform an invasive evaluation before the install, they’ll unearth hidden issues. Serious issues like an insulation breakdown or significant rusting to the existing structure can put the larger system at risk of failure down the road if not addressed.   Low Voltage Dir...