Like this article? We recommend
Like this article? We recommend
Like this article? We recommend
Like this article? We recommend
Perform Physical Security Inspections
It’s far easier to prevent a disaster than respond to one, and it doesn’t cost anything to just look around your facilities for potential problems. Take a walk-through at your location and look for obvious safety issues. The following list will get you started:
- Are equipment closets locked and accessible only to authorized personnel? (If janitors store their equipment in the same closet with the telephone or server equipment, that’s a disaster waiting to happen.)
- Does your equipment room use a backup power supply?
- Does the equipment room get too hot or cold for the equipment, especially during non-business hours? Is air conditioning or heating shut off for extended periods?
- Are combustibles—paper, cardboard boxes, flammable liquids, etc. stored safely, and away from the equipment room?
- Does your PBX have a power failure feature, so phones still work in case of a blackout?
- Is your server or PBX equipment located under or near a water source such as sprinklers or plumbing pipes?
- Are water pipes clearly labeled for shutoff in case of a leak? Are they located where they could freeze and break in cold weather? Is the number for building maintenance posted in case water has to be shut off quickly, even after hours?
- Are fire extinguishers available and properly charged? Are your personnel trained in using an extinguisher?
- Are emergency numbers posted prominently?
- Are smoke alarms present and working?
- Do waste containers have fireproof lids?