Title: 2.1 - Facilities Maintenance Functions
Course: Introduction to Mission Critical > Section: Introduction to Mission Critical

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Facilities Maintenance Functions

Facilities Maintenance is a term describing the maintenance, and the different tasks required to maintain a business facility. To successfully maintain these facilities prevention and planning, familiarity with local codes, and knowledge of safety regulations must combine with best security practices. This seemingly all-encompassing area is where building automation, HVAC, plumbing, structural, and access control are housed.

Access Control

Access Control is simply the controlling of what people have access to. This can be achieved through physical locks, smart cards, card readers, radio frequency ID badges, or biometrics. Doors, parking gates, scanners, turnstiles, fences, are some components of an access control system.

Building Automation

Through the use of a Building Management/Automation System monitoring, control, increased efficiency, and energy savings can be achieved. This practice is referred to as Building Automation. Computers and other electronic components are networked together to help “control” the building. Monitoring can be done to alert in case of fire or flood and for security. The humidity control, heating, air conditioning, and ventilation systems can be controlled from this network. Performance of manufacturing equipment can even be monitored. All this monitoring can be done both on-site and remotely. Building Automation can also serve to limit the amount of monitoring and actual personal attention needed to efficiently keep a facility running smoothly. In other words, certain alarms can be programmed to trigger a particular reaction that sometimes needs no immediate human intervention. (Example: If humidity exceeds X then turn on HVAC unit Y until humidity returns to acceptable levels.)

HVAC

HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. It refers to the technologies and systems involved in making both commercial and residential spaces more ideal in temperature and humidity. A more ideal environment is not only desirable for human comfort, sometimes it is necessary for equipment. Certain temperature sensitive computer equipment can require HVAC to keep areas cool and low in humidity. Data centers and server farms sometimes fall into this category. Manufacturers can also have very specific needs when it comes to temperature and humidity as these can effect material hardening, safety in handling of certain materials, and curing and drying times.

Physical Security

Physical security involves locks, doors, gates, guards, video surveillance, and other methods used to protect the buildings, assets, and property from those who do not have permission to access or use them [1]. Physical security systems generally include elements to deter those who would pose a threat, defend from the threats (by slowing them down and preventing their access), and reporting occurrences to the proper authorities (fire or police). Physical security protects personnel, equipment, resources, and infrastructure from things like vandalism, espionage, theft, terrorism etc. While access control is quite similar to physical security, the procedures described as access control tend to focus more on protecting access to critical data (by controlling who is allowed to get near it and access it) and Information Technology related assets. Or, access control is used as a generic term describing all devices used to control what people have access to including those doors, locks, gates, etc. that make up a physical security system.

Reference List

[1] about money, "Phsyical Security," about.com, 2014. [Online]. Available: http://bizsecurity.about.com/od/physicalsecurity/.