5.1.4. Use common safety procedures. (Obj. 4.4)

💡 First Principle: Personal and equipment safety are paramount; always de-energize equipment and protect against ESD before handling internal components.

Working as an IT technician involves handling expensive, sensitive electronic equipment and dealing with electrical power. Following proper safety procedures is non-negotiable. It protects you from injury, protects the equipment from damage, and protects the company from liability.

The two main categories of safety are personal safety and equipment safety.

• Personal Safety:
  • Electrical Safety: Before working inside a computer or printer, always unplug the power cord from the wall outlet. For PCs, press the power button after unplugging to discharge any residual energy in the power supply unit (PSU). Never open up a PSU or a CRT monitor, as they contain capacitors that can hold a lethal charge long after being unplugged.
  • Lifting: Use proper lifting techniques for heavy equipment like servers or large printers: bend at your knees, not your back, and use a cart or ask for help.
  • Fire Safety: Know the location of fire extinguishers in your office and be aware of different fire classes (a Class C extinguisher is for electrical fires).
  • Cable Management: Keep workspaces tidy and route cables properly to prevent trip hazards.
• Equipment Safety (ESD Protection):
  • ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) is the silent killer of computer components. The static electricity that builds up on your body can be discharged into a sensitive component like RAM or a CPU, instantly destroying it. You might not even feel the shock.
  • ESD Wrist Strap: This is your primary tool. Wear the strap on your wrist and clip the other end to an unpainted metal part of the computer's chassis. This continuously and safely equalizes the static potential between you and the computer.
  • ESD Mat: For more involved work, you can use an anti-static mat that you place on your workbench and connect to a common ground.
  • Antistatic Bags: When transporting or storing components like a motherboard or RAM, always place them in the silvery-gray antistatic bag they came in. This creates a Faraday cage that protects them from external static charges.

Technician's Action Plan: Scenario: You need to upgrade the RAM in a user's desktop PC.

1. Prepare the Workspace: Clear a clean, well-lit area to work. Have your tools, the new RAM, and your ESD protection equipment ready.
2. Power Down and Disconnect: Perform a proper shutdown of the operating system. Then, unplug the main power cord from the back of the PC. Unplug all other peripherals like the monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
3. Ground Yourself (ESD Protection): Put on your ESD wrist strap. Secure it snugly to your wrist. Clip the other end of the strap firmly to a bare metal part of the PC's case (not a painted or plastic part). This is the most important step before opening the case.
4. Perform the Upgrade: Open the computer case. Locate the RAM slots. Release the tabs on the old RAM module(s) and gently pull them out. Handle the new RAM modules by their edges, avoiding contact with the gold connectors. Align the notch on the new RAM module with the notch in the slot and press down firmly and evenly until the side tabs click into place.
5. Close Up and Reconnect: Close the computer case. Reconnect the power cord and all peripherals.
6. Power On and Verify: Boot up the computer. Go into the BIOS/UEFI or check System Properties in Windows to verify that the new, larger amount of RAM is being correctly detected by the system.

Reflection Question: Why is it crucial to unplug the power cord and discharge residual power before working inside a computer, even if it's turned off?