Case Study- Server Room Cleaning by CCS

In the last 15 years data centres have become more and more ubiquitous. These kinds of environments require a unique cleaning programme. In the last five years CCS have completed a number of high-profile and ambitious data centre cleans. One of our most memorable projects took us to Almere in The Netherlands.

Here Larry Cullen CCS Head of Industrial Ireland & UK reflects on the project.

“We were tasked with providing the office cleaning during an initial mobilisation and changeover phase and thereafter providing the daily office clean. For a job like this preparation is key and when the time came to mobilise, we were equipped, prepared and ready to swing into action.”

The Specs

When we carried out the initial survey, we realised that this data centre was different to ones we had cleaned before. The client wanted us to carry out deep cleans of various data halls in a data centre an area totalling 1500 square meters. The work was to be carried out while building work was still ongoing. We had to adhere to the strict standards of ISO 14644, which acted as a valuable guide when carrying out this job.

The Challenges

A data centre is a sensitive environment that needs to treated with care. These data halls needed an extremely thorough clean, including underneath the floor and ceilings where the metal casing and cable trays had to be cleaned. Cleaning the ceilings meant that the use of scissor lifts was essential so all of our team had to be trained and licenced to operate one.

Logistically this job needed a lot of prior planning. All of the team that worked on this job had to first attend training in the London Cleaning Academy, where they received certifications in data centre cleaning. At peak time there was a team of 20 working to get this site ready for handover. This site had to be completed in 2 weeks, prior planning and consistent teamwork were essential to make this possible. During the time we were cleaning the building work was also ongoing which meant we had to contend with high dust levels and plan accordingly.

Our teams sealed off the areas we were working in to protect them from dust and debris that could hamper our cleaning progress. We also used ‘tacky mats’ to prevent the builders walking dust onto the clean floors.

All of these elements required an extra level of planning and coordination, our teams training and hard work was invaluable in bringing this job to completion.

Our client was extremely satisfied with the results and the professional standards we delivered under challenging circumstances. We delivered on time and on budget and our teams learned new skills along the way. We cleaned in accordance with ISO standard 14644 which means we achieved the required standard of air cleanliness in designated clean zones such as a data centre.