>Find out what the danger areas are. There's little hazard in working on a
>CPU board, for example (but then we all know that :-)).
Actually, there *is* a substantial hazard around CPU boards, especially
on classic machines where the power supply is capable of putting out 5V
at a 60 or 100 or (in a recent machine that I've been tinkering with)
350 Amps. If something metal shorts out the power supply,
and that something metal is near your fingers, you can get a very nasty
burn, and also send sparks and bits of molten metal into your eyes and
face. (Note that I've completely passed over the rather substantial
harm often done to the supply components and PC board etches by a dead
short. If you're lucky, you'll simply melt the PC board traces rather
than burn yourself or send sparks flying.)
The solution, of course, is simple: don't wear anything conductive while
poking around high-current supplies.
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa_at_trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
Received on Wed Oct 13 1999 - 15:28:06 BST