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A+ Core 2 · CompTIA 220-1202 V15 · Objective C2-4.4

Given a scenario, use common safety procedures

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Objective 4.4: Given a scenario, use common safety procedures

Cert: CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202) V15 Domain: 4.0 Operational Procedures Weight: Part of the 21% Operational Procedures domain Depth: Given a scenario, use. The candidate must apply ESD protection, electrical safety, proper handling, cable management, and personal safety practices.

What this objective tests

You should know how to protect equipment (and yourself) from electrostatic discharge, electrical hazards, lifting injuries, and fire risk. Includes the personal protective equipment (PPE) used during repairs.

Key facts

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) straps:

  • Wrist strap with a wire clipped to a grounded point on the equipment chassis or to ground.
  • Equalizes potential between you and the equipment, preventing static-electric discharge that can damage sensitive components (CPUs, RAM, motherboard chips).
  • Wear when handling exposed PCBs, RAM, GPUs, motherboards.

ESD mats:

  • Conductive work mat with a ground lead. Provides a controlled surface for laying out components.
  • Often used with the wrist strap clipped to the mat's ground point.

Equipment grounding:

  • Connect equipment to a properly grounded outlet (third pin in the wall plug = ground).
  • Protects against electrical fault by giving fault current a safe path to earth.

Proper component handling and storage:

  • Hold PCBs by edges; avoid touching contacts and chips.
  • Store sensitive components in antistatic bags when not in use.
  • Don't stack PCBs on top of each other without protection.

Cable management:

  • Route cables to avoid trip hazards, snag points, and stress on connectors.
  • Use cable trays, Velcro ties (not zip ties for things that may change), label both ends.
  • Pull from the connector, not the cable itself.

Antistatic bags:

  • Pink (more common): dissipative; reduces buildup.
  • Silver/metallic (Faraday): shields content from external static fields.
  • Use to ship or store PCBs, RAM, etc.

Compliance with government regulations:

  • OSHA in the US (general workplace safety).
  • Specific regulations for electrical work, hazardous materials, e-waste disposal.

Disconnect power before repairing PC:

  • Shut down, unplug from wall, press power button for 5+ seconds to drain capacitors.
  • For laptops: also remove battery if removable.
  • Don't open PSUs ever; they store dangerous charge even after disconnect.

Lifting techniques:

  • Lift with legs, not back. Keep object close to body. Avoid twisting.
  • Get help for >50 lb objects (servers, large UPS units, monitors larger than 32").

Fire safety:

  • Class A: ordinary combustibles (wood, paper). Water OK.
  • Class B: flammable liquids. CO2 or dry chemical.
  • Class C: electrical fires. Don't use water. CO2 or non-conducting dry chemical.
  • Class K: cooking oils (less relevant for IT).
  • IT fire extinguisher: Class C minimum, often ABC for general coverage.

Safety goggles:

  • Wear when working with compressed air (debris hazard), drilling, soldering.

Air filter mask:

  • Wear when cleaning dust from equipment with compressed air or vacuum. Dust contains skin cells, pollen, sometimes mold spores, and (in some environments) toner particles.

Common gotchas

  • Wearing ESD strap but not actually grounded. Loose clip, broken wire, ungrounded outlet. Verify continuity.
  • Working on PCBs while wearing wool socks on carpet. Massive static buildup. Move to a hard surface or use mat + strap.
  • Plugging back in before draining capacitors. Some shock potential remains. Wait or short the contacts to ground (rare for typical PC service).
  • Lifting a server alone. Two-person lift for anything heavy. Workplace injury rates spike on solo lifts.
  • Class A fire extinguisher on a server fire. Water + electricity = bad. Class C or ABC.
  • Compressed air can pointed at PCB without ESD precautions. Compressed air can generate static; ground the PC and yourself first.
  • PSU service attempted. Don't. Capacitors retain dangerous charge. Replace the PSU as a unit.

Real-world context

PPE checklist for hardware work:

  1. ESD wrist strap + grounded mat when handling internal components.
  2. Eye protection when using compressed air, drilling, soldering, or anywhere debris might fly.
  3. Dust mask when cleaning dusty equipment with compressed air or vacuum.
  4. Closed-toe shoes in any equipment room.
  5. Cut-resistant gloves when handling case panels with sharp edges (rare but real).

Workspace setup for safe repair:

  • Adequate lighting.
  • Flat, stable surface (no carpet directly under work area).
  • Power outlet for tools, but unplug PC before service.
  • Grounded outlet for the ESD mat.
  • Organized parts trays for screws (magnetic mat or labeled cups).

Server room / data center additional considerations:

  • Two-person lifts for rack-mounted servers and large UPS units.
  • Antistatic floors or mats around equipment racks.
  • Fire suppression: clean-agent (Halon-replacement gases like FM-200, Novec 1230) instead of water sprinklers for the equipment area.
  • Air filtration and humidity control (35-65% RH typical).

Sources

  • [CompTIA A+ 220-1202 Exam Objectives Version 4.0, Section 4.4](../../../../../../30-RevyTechJourney/CompTIA%20A%2B%20220-1202%20Exam%20Objectives%20%284.0%29.pdf)
  • [OSHA: Workplace Safety](https://www.osha.gov/)
  • [NFPA: Fire Extinguisher Types](https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-equipment/Fire-extinguishers)
  • [ANSI/ESD S20.20: ESD Control Program Standard](https://www.esda.org/standards/)