Last month we carried out a recertification of the ISO 45001 certificate. This certificate is extremely important in terms of safety and is now one of our priorities. In addition, the ISO 45001 certificate plays a crucial role in times of COVID-19. Noah Peeters, a Field Technician at LCL, tells us all about it.
This month, we get to know Noah (22), a Field Technician at LCL. He joined LCL in June 2019. Despite his short career with the data centre company, he is given a lot of responsibility. His biggest challenge? Helping to ensure security in the data centre.
What does your job entail?
I am partly responsible for installing racks, solving problems that arise in the data centre and maintaining the cooling and electricity sites. I am also involved in wiring work. I lay both power and connectivity wiring for and between customers. All of these manual activities also have an administrative element that has to be kept up to date. That is also one of my main tasks.
Can you recall a particular project that you have been able to realise in your current job?
If I could choose a project in that respect, I would go for the leak detection and raised floor project at the Huizingen data centre. Facility upgrades had to be carried out in the new data centre. In this case: Install leak detection everywhere, reinforce the floor and – in some places – also renew it. I was able to develop that project myself and also follow it up.
How important is security to LCL?
Besides quality, security is one of LCL’s most important goals. We try to detect dangerous situations in advance so that we can prevent them in a proactive way wherever possible. Data centres are a critical environment. For that reason, strict security procedures are of the utmost importance.
To give an example: outside normal working hours, e.g. during stand-by shifts in the evening, a call centre continuously monitors that all is well with the employees in the data centre. From our departure from home to one of the data centres until we get back home, there is regular telephone contact. Suppose you fall while you’re working and you can no longer answer the phone, this will soon become apparent and they can then take the necessary measures.
What does the ISO 45001 certificate entail?
The ISO 45001 certificate shows that our health and safety management systems are clear, transparent and manageable. The certificate confirms to our customers that our data centres meet international safety standards, which means that LCL is committed to the well-being of its employees and does everything it can to anticipate potential emergency situations. The certificate has to be renewed annually to ensure that we continue to meet the required standards. We therefore take care of this compliance ourselves, and our customers no longer have to do it.
What is the link between the certificate and COVID-19?
The ISO 45001 certificate is perfectly in line with the current pandemic. As a data centre must be a sterile site, the importance of this certificate is further emphasised in these times. The measures we have taken to ensure safety include washing your hands before entering the data centre and after leaving the data centre, placing dispensers with alcohol gel, installing plexiglass screens, the obligation to wear a face mask in all our data centres, walking around the racks ensuring a distance of 1.5 metres, etc
What LCL like as an employer?
LCL gives you opportunities to grow. That is why I think LCL is a good employer. Management genuinely listens to your wishes. They try to take this into account as far as possible. My favourite topics are connectivity, ICT and cooling. LCL is looking at where they can offer me opportunities to follow or even lead projects in these areas.
Our sector is on the rise. Teleworking is the norm, i.e. connecting people with each other wherever they are. And LCL is connectivity. I’m proud of the work I do.