New accreditation launched detailing how to apply ISO 14644 to data centres

Published: 11-Dec-2024

Capitoline has added a new accreditation to its training course on how to apply ISO 14644 air sampling and monitoring practices to the data centre environment

In 2018 Capitoline introduced the world’s first training course dealing with the specialised area of data centre cleaning.

In 2021, this individual training and certification was upgraded to a company-wide certification scheme (Certified Data Centre Cleaning Specialist Company - DCSC).

In 2024 Capitoline has now extended the data centre cleaning course, DCCS, with an optional additional accreditation demonstrating knowledge of how to apply ISO 14644 air sampling and monitoring practices to the data centre environment.

Capitoline has announced that the first company in the world to take up this new qualification and certification is UK-based Beacon Support Services (Europe).

Beacon is a data centre support provider that assist customers in the maintenance and cleaning of data centre assets.

Capitoline Director, Barry Elliott, said: “We welcome Beacon Support Services as one of the 80 data centre cleaning companies worldwide that have joined our data centre cleaning training programme and congratulate them on becoming the first to achieve the additional data centre ISO 14644 certification.”

Why does this require a course?

ISO 14644-1:2015 Cleanrooms and associated controlled environments — Part 1: Classification of air cleanliness by particle concentration, is an international standard describing the construction, operation and air-quality testing of cleanroom environments.

Data centres are not ‘cleanrooms’ in the traditional sense of ultraclean environments for pharmaceutical, semiconductor or spacecraft manufacture but they do have to maintain certain levels of cleanliness to optimise the performance and longevity of IT equipment operating in the data centre. Data centre cleanliness is achieved by regular deep cleaning and extensive filtration of incoming air. The ‘cleanliness’ of the air can be monitored by sampling techniques as described in ISO 14644.

Data centres are not ‘cleanrooms’ in the traditional sense

Capitoline’s new online ISO 14644 course looks in detail at how data centres need to be monitored to meet the ISO Class 8 level of cleanliness as required by ASHRAE standards and most IT equipment manufacturers. Individuals taking the course, and passing the online exam, can now be certified as a data centre cleaning and ISO 14644 data centre specialist.

You may also like