S 1.29 Adequate siting of an IT system

Initiation responsibility: Head of Site/Bldg Technical Service, Head of IT Section

Implementation responsibility: Site/Bldg Technical Service; IT users

When installing an IT system, attention should be paid to various requirements which enhance the lifetime and reliability of the technical equipment and take account of ergonomics. Some of them are listed here by way of example:

• an IT system should not be sited in the immediate vicinity of heaters so as to avoid overheating;

• an IT system should not be exposed to direct solar radiation;

• dust and soiling should be avoided since the mechanical components (floppy disk drives, mechanical mouse, fixed disks) might be impaired;

• direct incidence of light on the monitor should be avoided for ergonomic reasons;

• location near to a window or door will increase the risk of observation from outside.

Further advice is contained in the recommendations issued by the Industrial Injuries Insurance Institutes.

Additional controls:

• Have failures due to the location occurred in the past?

• Do the users of IT systems complain about inadequate ergonomic conditions?