ENHANCING SAFETY AMIDST RISING AI POWER DENSITIES
INTRODUCTION
Artificial Intelligence( AI) has descended upon us and data centre organisations are realising its wide-reaching potential – incorporating it into their business models to keep up with market demand.
AI is a tool which enhances efficiency whilst opening doors to innovation, fostering collaboration and enabling growth and scalability – a significant requirement in this fast-paced tech environment.
Data centre organisations are rethinking their strategies as they realise the art of the possible and understand the many benefits of this modern tech tool. However, there remains a need to stabilise power, and balance demand with output while considering potential challenges.
Not so long ago, the UK Government classified data centres as‘ Critical National Infrastructure’ – the first Critical National Infrastructure( CNI) designation in almost a decade, since the Space and Defence sectors gained the same status in 2015.
This announcement from a governing body was reassuring in that it meant data housed and processed in UK data centres is now less likely to be compromised during outages, cyberattacks and adverse weather events.
While it’ s a clear sign cybersecurity is front of mind, we mustn’ t forget about potential operational safety risks raising their head within data centres. As power demands are driven to new heights, AI-ready infrastructure presents a hurdle which must be overcome.
Rising power densities are contributing to faster deployment cycles, the adoption of new cooling methods such as liquid cooling, and increased system complexity. Together, these factors can elevate the risk of arc flash incidents within data centre facilities. employee safety. Providing PPE equipment to workers is crucial, as well as introducing safety training programmes into the workplace and making them accessible to all.
The increased power demands shine a spotlight on data centre organisations’ capabilities to manage safety – particularly when it comes to maintenance, installation and operational tasks, which all carry a higher risk.
As Chris Osian, Product Manager at Starline, a brand of Legrand, points out in his interview which forms the basis of this supplement; when incident energy – or the energy released during an electrical fault – rises alongside power density, it can lead to more severe consequences in the event an arc flash or other electrical incident.
By way of mitigation and to avoid such events, Starline can support with the implementation of robust safety measures via its arsenal of innovative tools and solutions. In some cases, data centre processes may need to be reconsidered – and Starline’ s suite of tools as well as firstof-its-kind technology, offers the solution.
Starline’ s innovative tools help to reduce risk without compromising uptime and can seamlessly integrate, making data centre operations smooth and uncomplicated. In an environment that is so complex and high-risk – operating heavy machinery and power systems – this is largely celebrated.
Starline’ s solutions offer another dimension to data centre safety – the ability to detect and respond to faults quickly and the capability to manage higher fault currents. They also provide real-time data and metrics on voltage, power and temperature, allowing operators to set automatic alerts for critical thresholds.
All of these elements observe the required safety measures of the data centre and highlight the various unexpected instances in which operations can become derailed. Employees must prepare accordingly and continuous investment in workers is therefore essential.
Operators must be educated on the inner workings of the data centre and remain up to speed with its development. As a best practice, data centre preparedness should include regular risk assessments, awareness of potential dangers and a thorough understanding of overall health and safety expectations.
The insights revealed in the following pages offer data centre operators the guidance they need to prioritise employee safety and ensure data centres remain future-ready in this digitally demanding world.
By Alix Pressley, Director of Strategic Content
Risk assessments should be considered in all facets of the data centre – from managing architecture and ensuring infrastructure reliability, to monitoring
2 Enhancing safety amidst rising AI power densities