In an industry where just seconds of downtime represent enormous bottom line implications, leak detection and monitoring are crucial elements to consider in a highly sensitive facility. These five areas of focus are the most frequent points of failure from a fluid intrusion perspective:

• Faulty mechanical equipment: Uncapped sprinkler lines, leaky storage tanks, improperly monitored A/C units, leaking water filter units.
• Structural failures: Leaky roofs, improperly installed windows, clogged drains, overall general faulty construction.
• Piping issues: Failing pipes/fittings/valves, freezing pipes, fluid hammer effect (a pressure build-up when fluids stop or change directions suddenly), faulty pipes in primary plumbing walls.
• Human related issues: Overflowing basins, accidental damage to sprinkler lines, intentional sabotage.
• Weather related fluid intrusion: Minor flooding as a result of unexpected weather issues.

Piping issues and faulty mechanical equipment are some of the most common causes of facility downtime. For any of these five areas of threats, a comprehensive business continuity/disaster mitigation plan that includes robust and reliable monitoring equipment such as fluid sensing cable systems, are ideal proactive measures a facility manager can take to minimize the risk of costly downtime in 2015.