What is BS EN 50600-2-5 about?
BS EN 50600-2-5 is the fifth subpart of the second multiple series that addresses the physical security of data centres based upon the criteria and classifications for “availability”, “security” and “energy efficiency enablement” within EN 50600‑1.
BS EN 50600-2-5 provides designations for the data centres spaces defined in EN 50600‑1.
EN 50600-2 series defines the requirements for the data centre design.
NOTE-
Constructional requirements and recommendations are provided by reference to EN 50600‑2‑1.
Safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements are outside the scope of BS EN 50600-2-5 and are covered by other standards and regulations.
However, the information given in BS EN 50600-2-5 can be of assistance in meeting these standards and regulations.
This series of documents does not address the selection of information technology and network telecommunications equipment, software and associated configuration issues.
Who is BS EN 50600-2-5 for?
BS EN 50600-2-5 on data centre facilities and infrastructures is useful for:
- Owners, operators, facility managers, ICT managers, project managers, main contractors
- Consulting engineers, architects, building designers and builders, system and installation designers, auditors, test and commissioning agents
- Facility and infrastructure integrators, suppliers of equipment
- Installers, maintainers
Why should you use this BS EN 50600-2-5?
Data centres are supporting the information technology and network telecommunications equipment for data processing, data storage and data transport.
They are required both by network operators (delivering those services to customer premises) and by enterprises. . Data centres need to usually provide modular, scalable and flexible facilities and infrastructures to easily accommodate the rapidly changing requirements of the market.
In addition, the energy consumption of data centres has become critical both from an environmental point of view (reduction of carbon environmental footprint) and with respect to economic considerations (cost of energy) for the data centre operator.
The degree of physical security applied to the facilities and infrastructures of a data centre as specified in BS EN 50600-2-5 lets you have an influence on the integrity/security of the data stored and processed within, the data centre.
The requirements and recommendations specified in BS EN 50600-2-5 for those data centre spaces, and the systems employed within those spaces enables you acquire protection against:
- Unauthorized access (see Clause 6)
- Intrusion (see Clause 7)
- Fire events originating within data centres spaces (see Clause 8)
- Environmental events (other than fire) within the data centre spaces which would affect the defined level of protection (see Clause 9)
- Environmental events outside the data centre spaces which would affect the defined level of protection (see Clause 10).
BS EN 50600-2-5 allows you to identify the baseline risk posed to the data centre. Management of the identified baseline risk employs appropriate technical, physical, and procedural countermeasures or a combination thereof at the appropriate security level.
Determining “protection classes” as specified in BS EN 50600-2-5 lets you avail adequate and effective protection against intrusion to data centre spaces that requires a combination of structural resistance (walls, doors, etc.), organizational measures and technical security measures. Appropriate structural resistance and organizational measures are the foundation.
BS EN 50600-2-5 helps you ensure the security site assessment or physical security risk assessment for conducting evaluation by a security professional to protect an inventory of the assets as well as recommendations on how best to protect them.
BS EN 50600‑2‑5 contains the requirements and recommendations for particular facilities and infrastructures to support the relevant classification for “availability”, “physical security” and “energy efficiency enablement”.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN 50600-2-5:2021 supersedes BS EN 50600‑2‑5:2016, which will be withdrawn on 12 November 2021.
This document includes the following significant technical changes with respect to EN 50600‑2‑5:2016:
- Technical update to all clauses in response to user feedback;
- New clause 7 on protection classes against intrusion to data centre spaces added and clause 6 restructured accordingly;
- References to relevant provisions of en 50600‑2‑1:2021 added to highlight the respective links to constructional requirements;
- Various editorial updates.

