On 4/28/06, Steve Morgan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> What about Underground Vaults & Storage? Does that mean we shouldn't
> use them, also? I was working for a municipal government & that's where
> we stored all of our backup.
>

Steve-

As noted by many on this List in the past, a lot of what RIM is all about is
related to risk, and how averse or tolerant an organization is willing to
be.

You need to do an assessment of whatever third-party providers you intend to
use for ANY services and reach a level of comfort  that you can live with.
The discussion on web hosting services is a perfect example, same is true
with the story about the lost tapes.

If you perform a first-hand evaluation of a supplier and ask enough
questions and are satisfied with the responses, then you make a
recommendation to contract for services witht them.  You may want to attain
the services of a neutral qualifier inspector, or have your risk amanement
or insurance provider give the facility a once over, but at some point you
decide what's "good enough".

AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND, this is not to say that UVS is NOT a quality service
provider, nor is it an endorsement of them, but as Hugh said, the
explanatory text in NFPA 232 recommends against it (3.1.1 refers to records
centers in general, 5.3 refers to vaults specifically):


A.3.1.1
...The consulting services of a qualified fire protection engineer,
acceptable to the records custodian, should be obtained to participate in
the development of the fire safety system, including the determination of
the requirements to be provided in the final project documentation.
Multistory and/or below-grade facilities are extremely hazardous and require
substantial research and redundant protection....

 A.5.3
Vaults below grade are undesirable because under certain conditions
sufficient burning or smoldering debris can accumulate in a basement to
produce a cooking effect of such duration that the effects of combustion
cannot be resisted by construction alone (within practical limitations).
Also, vaults located below grade could be damp, causing destruction of
records by the formation of mold, and could be subject to flooding under
either flood or fire conditions, with consequent damage to records.
Larry
--
Larry Medina
Danville, CA
RIM Professional since 1972

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