If you’ve never worked in or around an IT shop, then you would probably never see or hear about the insane computer issues that users will deliver to you.

Like a Lithium-Ion battery that made someone’s laptop look like it was giving birth.

Or a computer that had to be rebuilt after the motherboard burned out.

Whether you’ve seen these issues or not, at one point, you may have to open up a user’s computer to examine their issues if you’re working in that kind of role.

One safety issue that you may hear about from time to time is electrostatic discharge. While some computer techs have never experienced this issue their entire careers, it is a safety issue that you should keep in the back of your mind.

Here is a basic lesson.

WHAT IS ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE

First things first, static electricity is electricity that doesn’t move.

There are some devices that use static electricity every day and all the time. According to Professor Messer, as long as that static electricity minds it’s business and doesn’t move, then life should be fine. Devices such as printers, copiers, electric air filters, and electric generators are examples of machines that uses electrostatic electricity. But then there’s static electricity that is generated when a styrofoam cup is rubbed against your sweatshirt, or when you are breaking open a new ream of copy paper. There’s even electricity built up when you rub your hair with a balloon (the same way your elementary school science teacher did when discussing the subject of electricity).

While it’s fun to watch your hair stand on your head when impacted by a static charge, that same static electricity could damage computers and burn down homes.

Yeah, this conversation just got real.

The good news is that you can minimize your chances of a fire or damaged devices by taking some precautionary steps. Here are some things to consider from people on the internet who claim to be techs (with valid advice backed by science).

WATCH YOUR HUMIDITY

While opening up a computer to troubleshoot, it’s best to consider your environment. A computer tech working in an environment with more than 60% humidity will impact them much differently than a tech working in a dry climate.

A dry environment contributes to electrostatic discharge build up in your computer. So check your space and make sure that it’s not dry and humid, and consider using a humidifier.

THEY SAY YOU SHOULD NOT BUILD A PC ON CARPET

I’ve found way more comments from techs who have built computers on carpets for years, and not had a single problem with ESD.

And then there’s that one tech who fried their computer parts while building it on carpet, and dressed with socks.

The comments on this post gets a little vulgar, and some commenters slammed the poster for lying. But ESD has been known to happen under similar conditions. So maybe take some precautions and not build a PC on carpet…in your socks.

TAP THE METAL CHASSIS/CASE AROUND THE MOTHERBOARD

A month or so ago, I cracked open my home PC to upgrade the RAM. With the help of a YouTube video, I was well on my way to being my own technician.

During the doctoring session, the tech in the video I was watching advised that I tap the metal case (or chassis) around my motherboard to dispel any ESD. Turns out, other techs are known to do the same thing.

This point may be made up of more method than science. However, with the number of techs who tap their metal chassis before touching parts in or around the motherboard, it’s best to err on the safe side and tap away.

GROUND YOURSELF

There’s so many ways to ground yourself, and most techs recommend just wearing a plain old grounding strap around your wrist or using a grounding mat. Depending on the technician, they may suggest you use both the wrist strap and the mat.

I spent a little time looking for comments from technicians about their thoughts on grounding themselves with a wrist strap or mat. Many techs said that they’ve never used either, and they’ve never experienced ESD in their entire computer building lives.

But the techs on Amazon seemed to have felt differently.

And on that note, a beta version of ChatGPT was added to Quora, and it had some tips to add when properly grounding yourself to reduce ESD.

If you’re a technician, then you probably have a whole lot to say about ESD, and I’d love to hear your thoughts. I also love troubleshooting horror stories, so if you have one about ESD, I am all ears.