Security Dealer & Integrator

JAN 2018

Find news and information for the executive corporate security director, CSO, facility manager and assets protection manager on issues of policy, products, incidents, risk management, threat assessments and preparedness.

Issue link: http://sdi.epubxp.com/i/927906

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 49 of 59

50 Security Dealer & Integrator / www.SecurityInfoWatch.com January 2018 be evacuated when the fire alarm sys- tems stop functioning. When security systems are out of service, parking lots, doors, and secure areas need to be covered by temporary guards at an additional cost. ere is also a loss of productivity if staff is delayed by congestion and manual processes at entrances, or if their work equipment and/or work data is damaged or lost. Downtime can also cause a poten- tial loss of customer confidence or business. If a customer uses social media to complain about a website being down for a few hours, the resulting negative impact can be detrimental to a business for an extended time. By the Numbers We have all heard the adage, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. is phrase could not be more relevant to surge protection solutions. Insurance may cover the cost of repairing material damage to the system, but the downtime is oen not covered by insurance and can quickly surpass the cost of surge protection devices and the cost of the damaged equipment. Case in point: A power surge forced an unprotected Orlando resort to maintain a "fire watch" – meaning a fire truck was stationed in the main parking area 24/7. e final price tag of the damage was $320,000 and 17 days of interrupted operations. An $8,000 investment in surge protection on the resort's fire alarm, power and network systems would have kept this from happening. Of course, the resort made the investment aerwards to ensure the problem would not be repeated, but the damage had already been done. System integrators should also be aware that power surge problems for security devices can be attributed to a number of causes. An airport in the Midwest, for example, conducted an investigation into access control panel and card reader failures that revealed lightning activity was not the main cause. Instead, over time, static gener- ated by dry winter air was forcing con- trolled doors to malfunction, causing damage to internal circuitry. Eventu- ally, the access control system suffered a major surge event, causing card reader and mag lock failures. It is important to note that surge protection can be added easily and cost effectively to almost any elec- tronic system or wired network, keeping power surges from causing damage to important security and operational systems. Product Specs Without focusing too much on speci- fications, you should be aware of a few key specs. At the lowest price points, surge protection devices absorb the excess energy on the line to save the protected systems. Higher-quality devices can absorb multiple hits and remain operational. Some surge protection devices have the capability to alert operations staff that they have performed their func- tion and may need to be checked or replaced to maintain protection. is is the best approach, because staff may not be aware of recent power surges and thus that the protection may be compromised. Simply having a surge protector does not guarantee the safety of equip- ment. e unit needs to deliver the right level of electrical absorption to handle regular spikes and surges. Commercial-use surge protectors specify how much energy the unit can absorb. A higher number indicates greater protection. A listed maximum surge current rating will also confirm that the device is a surge protector and not simply a power strip. Surge protectors are usu- ally divided between power and data/telecom devices. Surge protection for elec- trical power follows the ANSI/IEEE C64.41.2-2002 industry standard, which divides a building into three categories A, B and C. Category A is at indi- vidual equipment or wall outlets; Category B is at the distribution and sub-panel environment; and Category C is defined as the service entrance or main discon- nect. Maximum protection requires a surge suppressor at each one of these locations (A,B,C) and minimum pro- tection requires a surge suppressor at two (B,C) of the locations that feed the sensitive load. Finally, if, aer covering all the bases, the customer declines surge protection for the system, an inte- grator may want to ask for a signed refusal that essentially waives liabil- ity. It is a risk-aware step that can help protect brand and reputation and fur- ther add to the integrator's status as an industry expert. ■ » Mike Molinari is General Sales Manager for DITEK Surge Protection. Request more info at www.securityinfowatch. com/10213478. Power Supplies Many security professionals do not realize that power strips and surge protectors are distinctly different products. A power strip is essentially an extension cord with multiple plug receptacles.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Security Dealer & Integrator - JAN 2018