APPENDIX
115
Computer Use
•Route the power cable and all cables away from where people might walk or trip over
them. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cable.
•Do not spill anything on or into your computer.
•To avoid electrical shock, always disconnect all power, modem and any other cables from
the wall outlets before handling the computer.
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Warning
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can cause damage to internal system components if precautions
are not taken. ESD is caused by static electricity and the damage caused is usually permanent.
Computer technicians wear a special wrist‑strap that grounds them to the computer’s case to
prevent ESD damage. To reduce the chances of ESD damage:
•Turn off your computer’s power and wait several minutes before starting to work.
•Ground yourself by touching the case of the computer.
•Avoid walking around while replacing items inside the case, especially if you are on a
carpet or during low temperature and low humidity.
•Touch only those items which must be replaced.
•If you have to remove peripheral cards for any reason, place them on the portion of the
computer’s case that was removed. Do not touch the edge connectors at the bottom of
the card that connect to the system board.