Safe Storage

Storing media is not the same as storing paper, records center operators say. For one thing, environmental controls are even more critical with electronic media. A media vault must maintain a stable environment that meets manufacturers’ recommendations for the storage of a broad range of electronics and optical media, Ulmer states.

Generally, a vault’s temperature should range from 70 to 75 degrees, with humidity at 48 percent (plus or minus 3 percent), according to Martha Mayer, vice president of sales, Business Data Record Services, New Brighton, Minn. Vaults also need a fire rating of from two to five hours to restrict the spread of fire, Mayer says.

These numbers can vary depending on the medium stored and the vault’s geographic location, says Ulmer.

"If your vault is in a high humidity area like Houston, you have to bring the humidity down," says John Miller, president of WesTex Document Inc., Lubbock, Texas. "But In Lubbock, we have to create the humidity needed in our vault to meet standards." He says generally the temperature should range from 62 to 74 degrees and humidity should be controlled in the 20 percent to 50 percent range, depending on paper or media standards.

In regard to fire ratings, Hugh Smith, a principal of FireLock Fireproof Modular Vaults, Kutztown, Pa., says records centers should purchase fire rated vaults offering an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) rating of four hours, as the overall building design typically offers a four-hour rating against collapse. "This delivers the client a consistent level of design," Smith says.

Smith also suggests looking for a media vault that carries a UL fire rating that meets the standard for electronic media storage. "Media vaults should provide a UL for Class 125 design, offering a fire rating of either two, three or four hours," he adds.

In terms of fire suppression systems used within a media vault, Miller says waterless fire suppression systems are common. Years ago, systems using Halon 1301 were common. However, he adds that halons are no longer used for new installations because they contribute to ozone depletion, so WesTex uses a halon alternative manufactured by 3M called Novec. Novec is a product that attacks the heat of a fire to stop it, he says.

For additional protection, records center operators recommend installing a sprinkler system outside the media vault. Miller recommends installing a water-alarm system on the floor of the vault that is tied into the building’s security system to provide notification before the water reaches the lowest level of racking in the case of a fire.

Along with fire detection and suppression systems, records centers should also consider adding a generator in case of power failure. According to Miller, a generator that will keep the fire suppression system, computers and security system running is ideal.

Other considerations operators should take into account are the size of the generator, its fuel source and its location.

"The generator is normally outside of the main building," Miller says.

However, Mayer cautions against locating an emergency generator outside of the building at the ground floor level, where it potentially could be tampered with. Instead, Business Data Record Services has placed its generator on the building’s roof.

Additionally, Mayer says it is important to test the generator regularly to ensure it works properly.

A challenge associated with operating a media vault is the ever-changing array of media. While floppy disks and VHS tapes virtually may have disappeared from our homes and offices, in a vault where media are kept for years, these storage devices are still stored. "Large round reel tapes may be obsolete in current data centers, but we still store a lot of them as historical data," Mayer says.

The evolution of media can make sizing a vault somewhat complicated. "Those interested in getting into the media vaulting business need to keep in mind that media sizes are ever changing, and racking sizes change based on the size of the media," Mayer says. "Rack sizes need to be correct for the size media you are storing," she adds.

Miller has recently completed construction of a four-hour-rated vault that measures 60 feet by 28.5 feet by 11.5 feet to hold the company’s three Gemtrac media storage units and approximately 5,000 standard file boxes.

Mayer notes that media vault operators can expand their initial vaults as business dictates.

For those companies considering adding media storage to their operations, she suggests offering the service in an office environment initially. "The room is heated during the winter and air conditioned during the summer, so the media are in a fairly controlled environment," Mayer says. This way companies can gauge how much business they could acquire before investing in an actual media vault.

Mayer then suggests constructing a 2,000-square-foot vault, adding on only as needed.

Business Data Records Services currently operates a 2,000-square-foot vault and a 20,000-square-foot vault.

Smith says when constructing a vault, a modular design is beneficial because it can be modified to accommodate future growth. He says records centers typically start off with a 400- to 600-square-foot vault for greatest cost efficiency, adding larger modules to the initial vault as they grow. "Each successive module tends to increase in size due to the organic growth of the media archive," he says.

When it comes to the racking that is required in a media vault, Miller says most any kind will work, but it must be capable of supporting the weight placed on it and be anchored properly in earthquake-prone areas. He adds that box depth, open filing and method of picking must be considered when selecting racking for media vaults, as with any racking project.

Mayer adds that the most common types of racks found in media vaults include slotted racks that look like bookcases, racks with track slides as well as transfer cases.

Media vault operators need to keep in mind that they want dense storage when choosing racks, Mayer says.

In light of the constant changes in the size of media, storage center operators suggest purchasing used racks or putting smaller tapes into the bigger slots available.

While racking helps to keep a record center tidy, the soul of any vault operation is its inventory tracking software, according to Ulmer. Bar coding is the simplest way to keep track of all the media in the vault, according to records center operators. Bar codes are the means of ensuring control and accountability for all media that move into and out of the vault, according to Ulmer.

Each piece of media coming into Business Data Record Services receives a bar code. When the company needs to retrieve an item for a customer, the staff can look it up in the inventory tracking system. The company’s system integrates inventory tracking, automated rotation scheduling, order processing, report generation and account management, according to the Business Data Record Services Web site.

Depending on whether the customer wants a monthly, weekly or daily rotation, Business Data Record Services can retrieve its customers’ requests more quickly using its inventory management software than the staff could by hand, Mayer says. "There is no way a person can keep track of all the media without a good software program," she adds.