EPO button per 645.10

[msteiner]

I'm curious about how to determine when an Emergency Power Off (EPO) button is required in an IT Equipment Room. I always install them in data centers, but what about smaller computer rooms? I had an inspector try to have me install one in a little server closet for a commercial office fitout (luckily I talked him out of it). What defines an "information technology equipment room"? Does it need to have a raised access floor? Rack-mounted IT equipment? Dedicated HVAC?

 

[msteiner]

As a follow-up, I just glanced at NFPA 75, Standard for the Protection of Information Technology Equipment, for a definition of IT Equipment. It basically defines it as ANY computer, which doesn't really help me.

 

[qcroanoke]

I'm curious about how to determine when an Emergency Power Off (EPO) button is required in an IT Equipment Room. I always install them in data centers, but what about smaller computer rooms? I had an inspector try to have me install one in a little server closet for a commercial office fitout (luckily I talked him out of it). What defines an "information technology equipment room"? Does it need to have a raised access floor? Rack-mounted IT equipment? Dedicated HVAC?

http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=99848&highlight=645.10

Try this thread and read what Iwire and Ron's paper say about it. search 645.10 on this site also, lots of info there for you.

 

[dereckbc]

645 is an option, not a requirement. As a Data Center engineer for telecom we avoid 645 like a plague. When forced to use it we install the EPO on the door toward the employee parking lot so disgruntled fired employees can hit it on the way out.

 

[ron]

Article 645 is written rather weird as compared to the rest of the code articles. As mentioned it is optional due to the wording in 645.4.

Funny enough, I am having a "battle" with a local code AHJ that wants an EPO because he says that there is an IT Equipment Room and he can't believe that there is an optional article found in the code, even though it is. If the installation is compliant with Chapters 1-4 and the applicable articles from Chapters 7 & 8, 645 is not required.
I sent him copies of my article and articles from Holt and IAEI, and he still wont interpret the article in the way it is intended from NFPA. I am awaiting an informal interpretation email from NFPA (a benefit of being an NFPA member) to hopefully help me educate this AHJ. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[msteiner]

Great stuff guys. Thanks!

 

[tmillard]

Not sure if this helps, but I ran into a similar issue with data center in a hospital with an FM200 system... Here is what I came up with in regards to an EPO:

NFPA 75 deals with 'Protection of Information Technology Equipment'. Section 8.4.2.1 states "The power to all electronic equipment shall be disconnected upon activation of a gaseous agent total flooding system, unless the risk considerations outlined in Chapter 4 indicate the need for continuous power.'

Chapter 4, section 4.1 Risk Factors states "The following factors shall be considered where determining the need for protecting the environment, equipment, function, programming , records, and supplies:

1. Life safety aspects of the function (e.g. process controls, air traffic controls.)
2. Fire threat of the installation to occupants or exposed property
3. Economic loss from loss of function or loss of records
4. Economic loss from value of equipment"

Do you comply with any of the exemptions?

Tom

 

[msteiner]

We don't have a "gaseous agent total flooding system" in my application, so I'm not sure the Chapter 4 exceptions would apply. I'm hanging my hat on the fact that the computer rooms in question are not considered IT Equipment rooms because we don't have fire-rated partitions or an EPO system, therefore Art. 645 doesn't apply. This means I can't use the relaxed rules of 645 (i.e. the underfloor wiring methods need to be secured in place), but that seems like a better solution than fire rating the walls and installing an EPO in every room (15 total rooms).

 

[ron]

msteiner,
Sounds like you are on the right track.

tmillard,
NFPA 75 is a standard that is not adopted as a code in most (if any) jurisdictions, so luckily, even if we dump FM200, the "Code", doesn't require power shut down.