Why do we use facilities with EPO's?

Thu Jul 26 16:03:21 UTC 2007

On Jul 26, 2007, at 12:16 AM, Valdis.Kletnieks at vt.edu wrote:

> On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:43:17 PDT, Roy said:
>
>>> Funny story about that and the EPO we have here...
>>> ...
>> Story #1
>
>> Story #2
>
> Story #3

Story #4

I'm still working at the place mentioned in a previous post -- I was  
only there for 3 months (actually one day less than 3 month, I know  
this because the recruiter only got his commission when I was there  
for at least three months, if I'd know this I would have stuck it out  
for another few days), but have more "funny" stories from this place  
than any other, anyway, onto the story:

One of the server rooms becomes unusable and needs to be rebuilt[0],  
so everything needs to be migrated out of the existing room and into  
new space -- this includes a large APC Symmetra UPS. We shut down the  
UPS and pull all of the batteries out of both it and the expansion  
shelves so that we can move it with a pallet lift. We move everything  
into the new space and its time to put the UPS back together. I  
quickly decide that lifting large numbers of heavy batteries into the  
shelves is not fun, so I show the random helper dude what to do...  
"You pick up this big, heavy thing and put in into this cubbyhole  
type spot, then you connect this large connector and slide the  
battery back, lather, rinse, repeat...".

I watch him do the first one and he seems to have it figured out... I  
wander off to go hook up some fiber or something and peer down the  
corridor every now and then to make sure he still has this under  
control. Surprisingly enough he is managing ok and hasn't wandered  
off to take a nap or anything. He gets down to the last few batteries  
and seems to be having some issues, but I figure he'll work it out,  
so I carry on with what I am doing... I peer down the corridor again  
and he is sitting on the floor with his back braced against  
something, pushing the battery into place with his feet... "Whoa,  
this can't be good", I think, just as there is a LARGE bang, a big  
flash and much smoke and fire....

Turns out that for the last battery he managed to get the cables  
caught between the side if the battery and the side of the (sheet- 
metal) case. When it didn't just slide easily back, he pushed it  
really hard and the edge of the case chomped through the cable  
creating a dead short -- this literally vaporized a crescent of metal  
from the case around 5 inches in radius, flung bits of molten case  
and battery leads all over the place and ignited the cardboard that  
we put on the pallet to soften it...

Much hilarity ensues...

Sometime I really need to write down all of the funny things that  
have happened over the years... Actually, if anyone has other, random  
funny (?!) stories, pass them along and I'll make a compilation....

W

[0]: Have you ever noticed that places that use gas fire suppression  
systems either have doors that open outwards and / or big dampers  
(like http://www.c-sgroup.com/product_home.php? 
section=explovent&page=3) ? Ever wonder why? :-)

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