Safety precautions for handling replaceable units

Electrostatic charge that has accumulated on your body discharges through the circuits. If the air in the work area is very dry, run a humidifier in the work area to help decrease the risk of ESD damage.

Follow these procedures to prevent equipment damage:

• Provide enough room to work on the equipment.
• Clear the work site of any unnecessary materials or materials that naturally build up electrostatic charge, such as foam packaging, foam cups, cellophane wrappers, and similar items.
• Do not remove replacement or upgrade units from their antistatic packaging until you are ready to install them.
• Before you begin service, gather together the ESD kit and all other materials you will need.
• Once servicing begins, avoid moving away from the work site; otherwise, you may build up an electrostatic charge.
• Use ESD anti-static gloves or an ESD wristband (with strap).

  If using an ESD wristband with a strap:

  • Attach the clip of the ESD wristband to the ESD bracket or bare metal on a cabinet/rack or enclosure.
  • Wrap the ESD wristband around your wrist with the metal button against your skin.
  • If a tester is available, test the wristband.
• If an emergency arises and the ESD kit is not available, follow the procedures in Emergency Procedures (without an ESD kit).

In an emergency when an ESD kit is not available, use the following precautions to reduce the possibility of an electrostatic discharge by ensuring that your body and the subassembly are at the same electrostatic potential.

NOTICE  These precautions are not a substitute for the use of an ESD kit. Follow them only in the event of an emergency.

• Before touching any unit, touch a bare (unpainted) metal surface of the cabinet/rack or enclosure.
• Before removing any unit from its antistatic bag, place one hand firmly on a bare metal surface of the cabinet/rack or enclosure, and at the same time, pick up the unit while it is still sealed in the antistatic bag. Once you have done this, do not move around the room or touch other furnishings, personnel, or surfaces until you have installed the unit.
• When you remove a unit from the antistatic bag, avoid touching any electronic components and circuits on it.
• If you must move around the room or touch other surfaces before installing a unit, first place the unit back in the antistatic bag. When you are ready again to install the unit, repeat these procedures.

Systems and components must acclimate to the operating environment before applying power. This requires the unpackaged system or component to reside in the operating environment for up to 16 hours in order to thermally stabilize and prevent condensation.

Table 1 helps you determine the precise amount of stabilization time required.

NOTICE   If there are signs of condensation after the recommended acclimation time has passed, allow an additional eight (8) hours to stabilize. Systems and components must not experience changes in temperature and humidity that are likely to cause condensation to form on or in that system or component. Do not exceed the shipping and storage temperature gradient of 45°F/hr (25°C/hr). Do NOT apply power to the system for at least the number of hours specified in Table 1. If the last 24 hours of the transit/storage environment is unknown, then you must allow the system or component 16 hours to stabilize in the new environment.

Use the following precautions when removing, handling, or storing replaceable units:

CAUTION   Some replaceable units have the majority of their weight in the rear of the component. Ensure that the back end of the replaceable unit is supported while installing or removing it. Dropping a replaceable unit could result in personal injury or damage to the equipment.

NOTICE   For a module that must be installed into a slot in an enclosure, examine the rear connectors on the module for any damage before attempting its installation. A sudden jar, drop, or even a moderate vibration can permanently damage some sensitive replaceable units.

• Do not remove a faulted replaceable unit until you have the replacement available.
• When handling replaceable units, avoid electrostatic discharge (ESD) by wearing ESD anti-static gloves or an ESD wristband with a strap. For additional information, refer to Avoiding electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage .
• Avoid touching any exposed electronic components and circuits on the replaceable unit.
• Never use excessive force to remove or install a replaceable unit. Take time to read the instructions carefully.
• Store a replaceable unit in the antistatic bag and the specially designed shipping container in which you received it. Use the antistatic bag and special shipping container when you need to return the replaceable unit.
• Replaceable units must acclimate to the operating environment before applying power. This requires the unpackaged component to reside in the operating environment for up to 16 hours in order to thermally stabilize and prevent condensation. Refer to Hardware acclimation times to ensure the replaceable unit has thermally stabilized to the operating environment.