June 2017 - BACS builds Australia’s ONLY Live Data Centre Training Facility
The requirement for qualified data centre cleaners is growing just as fast as the number of data centres. Thirty-five years of technical cleaning expertise mean BACS can select the right people and train them to work safely and effectively in your critical IT environment. To provide our field staff a hands-on opportunity to enhance their knowledge and skills in a risk-free environment, BACS has built a Live Data Centre Training Facility at our Sydney headquarters.
BACS Live Data Centre Training Facility has raised access flooring complete with sub-floor components.
Server rack cleaning procedure can be demonstrated and practiced in a safe and risk-free environment.
Cleaners learn proper use of a floor tile lifter to remove tiles and safely access the sub-floor area.
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Components include:
- Removable raised access floor tiles
- Removable floor vents
- Pedestals and stringers
- Sub-floor CAT5 & fibre optic cabling
- Sub-floor power cabling
- Sub-floor leak detection cabling and alarm
- Sub-floor cable trays
- Floor tile lifter, vent puller & wall bracket
- Server rack
- Live in-rack server diagnostics monitor
- Overhead cable trays
- CCTV system
- Emergency power off button
- Break glass emergency exit button
- Break glass fire alarm button
- Push to exit button
- Light switch
- No photography signs
- No mobile phone signs
The training facility forms the centrepiece of our in-house BACS Data Centre Training Program modelled on Levels 1 – 4 of the Australian Qualifications Framework. Once a cleaner demonstrates competence in a particular skill set, they receive a certificate of accreditation for that level.
The first component of Level 1 training is the BACS Data Centre Awareness course, a combination of theoretical and practical instruction that everyone must complete prior to entering a data centre. Each module concludes with a graded assessment to confirm comprehension. The practical element of the course takes place in and around the BACS Live Data Centre Training Facility. Trainees can see many features found in real data centres. They are shown how to work safely in this environment - whether lifting floor tiles, climbing ladders, plugging in electrical equipment, or avoiding certain activities which increase air particle levels.
Cleaners also learn the importance of using specialised cleaning equipment in data centres. They are shown how to properly assemble it and employ the right techniques to clean above and underneath the floor. Most importantly, they are trained to clean so as not to injure themselves or cause damage and outages. Once they are accredited, they work in the field under senior supervisors. Their performance is routinely audited to ensure they are doing things correctly and following all procedures.
The BACS Data Centre Training Program is part of how BACS can recruit, induct, train and assess staff to meet your needs for highly skilled data centre cleaners across Australia, now and in the future. We can equip all new and existing technicians with a detailed working knowledge of a critical space before they enter a live operational facility. By doing this, we reduce risks and increase efficiencies across all our services nationally.