Avoid computer safety snafus
Keep your family safe from potential hazards
By Laura Pratt
It’s not just loggers and Alaskan crab fishermen who have dangerous jobs. Even your average Jill, sitting at her desk pounding away at her keyboard, could be at risk. Hazardous computer snafus lurk behind every drag of the mouse. But a clever computer user can protect herself by taking precautions. In other words, take note — and take care.
1. Shock talk
A computer is dangerous because it’s got electrical volts running into it — simple as that. Even CPUs that are turned off and unplugged can hold an electrical charge. Avoid a nasty encounter by only venturing into your CPU’s belly (to make an alteration or upgrade) if you feel extremely confident about what you’re doing.
2. Grounded for life
Your computer’s plug is grounded for a reason. Don’t compromise this safety imperative by jamming your three prongs into an extension cord that only has two holes and exposing yourself to electrical jolts. It’s also a good idea to test the integrity of the grounding in your wall outlet. You can buy an inexpensive tester from any electronics store.
3. Bar none
A surge protector is designed to protect your computer — and the information stored on it — from electrical storms and power surges. A surge protector can also be reset, so it will last for the long haul.
Pick a surge protector with a low clamping voltage, a high energy absorption/dissipation level (the amount of energy it can absorb before it fails) and a short response time (the longer the response time, the longer your equipment will be exposed). There are many quality surge protectors on the market today that offer a warranty on any of the equipment attached to it.
At the very least, make sure you’re buying a surge protector that meets the set standard: UL1449 Second Edition, 330V Standard.
Even the best surge protector doesn’t give users licence to pile on endless amounts of electrical equipment. “You want to avoid plugging a power bar into another power bar,” says John Harbarenko, cofounder of Nerds on Site, a Toronto-based computer repair firm. “If you need another power bar, you need to plug it into the wall, not the bar.”
4. Weight gain
Computers may be getting smaller, but monitors are still extraordinarily heavy. “People underestimate their weight and throw their back out trying to move them from place to place,” says Jay Adams, a web producer at G4techTV, a 24-hour digital lifestyle channel. “If you’re in an office environment, we recommend trolleys to move equipment around.” At home, make sure you enlist someone’s help before attempting a big lift on your own.
5. Heavy load
Some tabletops are not hearty enough to bear the load of a modern office. In particular, says Adams, you need to think about dropping a monitor on one of those nifty plate-sized auxiliary shelves that clamps onto the main desk with a swinging arm. “The practical use of those shelves, often, is to raise the monitor higher for ergonomic purposes,” he says. “But they can be too flimsy for a heavy computer. Devices that you buy with your desks will have specific load-bearing measurements on them — it makes practical sense not to exceed those.”
6. Burnout
Be sensitive to equipment whose advancing years might herald the breakdown of some of its more protective properties. Older equipment, says Harbarenko, may be more prone to overheating.
7. Heat exhaustion
Even some of today’s computers can’t compete with the heat, as many now power large programs and peripherals. That makes heat overload a common occurrence, but it can be avoided with a case fan.
You can also use the case fan to clear out dust bunnies — the material most likely to ignite — from the fan unit inside your computer, says Harbarenko, adding that it will also improve the efficiency of the existing or original fan.
Finally, you need to “place computers in an environment where there’s airflow,” he adds. “Lots of computer desks have closed cabinets down below with just small holes to feed wires through. People will close the cabinet and that will overheat the unit. Front to back, you want a flow of air over the unit.”
8. All wrapped up
The technological snarl of wires and cords is a tripping hazard, a dust-bunny magnet and an unsightly vision. Add some order with a Velcro wrap; a cable turtle, a funky little device that conceals neatly rolled-up cords; or a tube coil, which lets you bundle all your cords into one neat spot. Or at least lasso your labyrinth with a strip of tape and label the cords while you’re at it, so you can identify them.
9. Kid-proof
Children seem to be drawn to computer equipment. Keep them from getting burned by observing a few simple safety precautions, such as keeping those cords wrapped up and making sure there’s no device teetering on the edge of a table that children could yank down on top of themselves. “And, for heaven’s sake,” says Harbarenko, “tell the kids not to stick anything in any of the holes.”
10. Animal house
Critters and computers are not the best mix, especially animals that leave behind hair or dander. “If this gets into a power supply,” warns Harbarenko, “it could short something.” He suggests raising towers, whose radiating warmth attracts heat-seeking pets, onto elevated posts. Or, you might drape a dust cover over the whole setup when it’s not in use.
