In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and data management, data center providers are the unsung heroes who constantly work towards ensuring that data is always available, secure, and accessible 24/7/365. When building and operating highly technical data center facilities across the globe, safety is paramount and a crucial tenant that must always be a high priority.
At EdgeConneX, we embrace safety as a core value, continuously exploring the best approaches for building safe facilities – especially in challenging and emerging markets. We continue to train our teams in best practices and support a culture of security that is imperative for our company and industry.
It is an essential element of our operations and culture, and we understand that creating safe working conditions leads to higher productivity, better customer satisfaction, and a reduction in the cost of remediation.
“Safety isn’t just a priority for us; it’s in our DNA. Our mantra is Customer, People, Planet. As a global data center provider, we take the safety of our employees, partners, and customers very seriously. Safety goes hand in hand with reliability, and our goal is to ensure that our facilities are dependable and ensure the maximum uptime and performance for our customers. It is our moral obligation to provide a secure and safe working environment for all stakeholders, where accidents are prevented, incidents are minimized, and everyone is thinking about the “what if,” shared EdgeConneX CEO Randy Brouckman.
Best Practices for Incident Prevention
When building and operating data centers in challenging and emerging markets, there are many best practices that data center providers must follow to ensure nothing is left to chance. These practices include:
- Obtaining necessary certifications
- Assessing the site’s location
- Identifying and mitigating potential hazards
- Strictly adhering to local rules and regulations
By following these practices, data center providers can create a safe and secure working environment for employees and customers.
For our partner in India, AdaniConneX, safety is equally a core organizational value, as they work towards “Zero Harm and Zero Leak” with the belief that all injuries, occupational illness, and environmental pollution are preventable.
The Five Points of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE): Hard hats, long sleeve shirts, visibility vest, gloves, eye protection, and foot protection: Having the right gear and equipment is especially important when there is a lot of work inside a data center as part of ongoing operations and ongoing construction projects.
Developing a Culture of Safety: It is essential to create a culture of safety that includes established processes, effective leadership and training, compliance with guidelines, effective communication throughout the organization, reflection on incidents and lessons learned, accountability at every level, and ensuring there is also tiered accountability. In addition, all employees must be aligned with the corporate vision to prioritize safety at every level of the organization, from the ground up to senior management.
Training and Upskilling: At EdgeConneX, we emphasize training and upskilling our staff to meet operational standards consistently. To achieve this, we conduct regular on-site training sessions for our employees, which include a two-week program at our data center site in Amsterdam. This location houses four purpose-built data centers, offering an ideal opportunity for our staff to familiarize themselves with our various processes.
Our training programs help maintain our operational standards and provide valuable upskilling opportunities for our employees. These opportunities serve as a means for career progression and professional growth, allowing our staff to take on more senior roles as our data center footprint expands. In addition, by offering incentives for upskilling, we can retain talent and contribute to the continued success of our organization.
Data Center Certifications: Data center certifications are essential for ensuring the safety and reliability of critical data center infrastructure. These certifications provide an industry-recognized standard for designing, building, and operating data centers, helping to reduce the risk of downtime and ensuring the safety of data center staff and customers.
Our data center facility in Indonesia recently achieved ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and PCI-DSS certifications. These certifications are essential for businesses demonstrating their commitment to quality management, information security, and payment card data protection.
- ISO 9001 provides a framework for businesses to establish, implement, and maintain a quality management system, helping them to meet customer requirements and improve customer satisfaction consistently.
- ISO 27001 provides a systematic approach to managing sensitive information, helping businesses protect against various security threats.
- PCI-DSS certification is essential for businesses that handle payment card data, providing security standards for protecting this sensitive information. These certifications help companies build customer trust, increase competitiveness, and reduce the risk of security breaches.
Effective Leadership: Leadership is a crucial determinant of a culture of safety. The executive leadership team ensures everyone is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and secure working environment. This includes providing the necessary resources, setting expectations, ensuring compliance with established best practices, and identifying and mitigating potential hazards.
As a global data center provider, safety and security are the cornerstones of every activity. Our moral obligation is to ensure that our employees, partners, and customers are always safe and secure. Following best practices for building safe facilities, creating a culture of safety that understands the importance and benefits of being safe, investing in effective leadership and training, and having the proper communication and accountability throughout the organization will create a more sustainable business model. All of this, in turn, will provide long-term advantages for our customers. In addition, by providing an enduring safe environment, we can build trust and stronger relationships with our customers, employees and partners and continue to deliver reliable solutions.
Learn more about EdgeConneX winning culture HERE.
