SAFETY

ELT2383
Safety procedures and training for handling
electronic components and devices
When testing or handling electronic
components, there are two things that you
need to make certain are safe.
❖ First, You need to make certain that you are
safe.
❖ Second, you need to make certain that the
electronic components that you’re testing
are also safe from damage.
 WHY Is SAFETY IMPORTANT?

There are some very common injuries that people sustain

when working with electricity.
Burns are very common. In fact, according to their numbers,
in the last 10 years in excess of 46,000 workers were injured
due to on-the-job electrical hazards.
While you might be working with electronic components , you
are taking the same risks that someone who works with them
in the workplace takes. Those risks amount to more than 300
deaths in the workplace and 4000 injuries in the workplace
every single year.
Be careful.
SAFETY OBJECTIVES

•To show importance of written laboratory

program
•To show importance of safety equipment
and personal protective equipment
•To show importance of care of equipment
Things to remember :

A. When replacing faulty component you

should always detach the power source from
any piece of equipment before you start
working on it.
B. Make certain that any component you’re
working on is not in contact with anything
that could provide a hazardous ground path.
C. Always keep liquids away from electronic
devices and component and don’t work on
electrical components in a location where
liquids are present.
Cause of damage to Electronic
components and devices:
The most common cause of damage to
electronic component is the

❖ Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) and,

❖ Electrical Overstress (EOS).
ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE (ESD)
Charges are caused by friction between two
surfaces, at least one of which is non-
conductive. The magnitude and polarity of the
charges depend on the different affinities for
electrons of the two materials rubbing together,
the friction force and the humidity of
surrounding air
Electrostatic discharge is the transfer of an
electrostatic charge between bodies at
different potentials and occurs with direct
contact or when induced by an electrostatic
field
ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE (ESD) CONT.
Electrostatic charges can be stored in many
things;
➢ Manmade fibre clothing,
➢ Moving machinery,
➢ Objects with air blowing across them,
➢ Plastic storage bins,
➢ Sheets of paper in plastic envelopes,
➢ Paper from copying machines, and on
➢ People
WHY AVOID ELECTROSTATIC
DISCHARGE (ESD)
Certain components used in electronic
assemblies are sensitive to this static electricity
and can be damaged by its discharge such as;
o when the surface of printed board assembly is
touched by a person having a static charge potential.
If touched at the right solder joint or conductive
pattern, the circuit board assembly can be damaged
as the discharge passes through the conductive
pattern to a static sensitive component. It is important
to note that usually the static damage level for
components cannot be felt by humans
Precautions To Prevent ESD
Wear Anti-static/ESD devices
ESD smock
2. ESD heel strap (x2) or shoes
ESD wrist straps
Precautions to prevent ESD in
more intensive work
It is highly recommended to wear rubber soled shoes
to decrease chances of generating electro-static
while moving around.
Always try to avoid sitting while working with bare
components since moving around in a chair can
generate more than adequate static charge to
damage electronic components.
It is highly recommended not to work in any carpeted
area when touching bare components.
Place products on flat-hard surface, preferably one
with Anti-static mats on top.
ELECTRICAL OVERSTRESS
(EOS)
Electrical overstress damage can be
caused by generation of
➢ unwanted energy; such as spikes,
occurring within soldering irons,
➢ solder extractors,
➢ testing instruments and other electrically
operated equipment. discharges.
Precautions To Prevent (EOS)

➢ Equipment must be designed as to

prevent unwanted electrical discharges.
➢ Provision of ESD/EOS Safe Work Areas
The purpose of an ESD/EOS safe work
area is to prevent damage to sensitive
components from spikes and static
Handling precaution and
Storage Methods
Circuit board assemblies must always be handled at
properly designated work areas.
Designated work areas must be checked periodically
to ensure their continued safety from ESD. Areas of
main concern include:
– Proper grounding methods.
– Static dissipation of work surfaces.
– Static dissipation of floor surfaces.
– Operation of ion blowers and ion air guns.
Designated work areas must be kept free of static
generating materials such as Styrofoam, vinyl,
plastic, fabrics or any other static generating
materials
When not being worked on, sensitive components and circuit
boards must be enclosed in shielded bags or boxes. There are
three types of ESD protective enclosure materials including:

Static Shielding - Prevents static electricity from passing through

the package.

Antistatic - Provides antistatic cushioning for electronic

assemblies.

Static Disipative - An "over-package" that has enough

conductivity to dissipate any static buildup.
Whenever handling a circuit board
assembly the operator must be properly
grounded by one of the following:
– Wearing a wrist strap connected to earth
ground.
– Wearing 2 heel grounders and have both
feet on a static dissipative floor surface.
When not being worked on, sensitive components and circuit
boards must be enclosed in shielded bags or boxes. There
are three types of ESD protective enclosure materials
including:
• Static Shielding - Prevents static electricity from passing
through the package.
• Antistatic - Provides antistatic cushioning for electronic
assemblies.
• Static Disipative - An "over-package" that has enough
conductivity to dissipate any static buildup.
Whenever handling a circuit board assembly the operator
must be properly grounded by one of the following:
• Wearing a wrist strap connected to earth ground.
• Wearing 2 heel grounders and have both feet on a static
dissipative floor surface.
Circuit board assemblies should be handled by the edges. Avoid
touching the circuits or components.
Components should be handled by the edges when possible.
Avoid touching the component leads.
Never work on electronic equipment’s or devices with wet
clothing or hands
Never wear loose or flipping clothing or clothing with exposed
zippers or metal fastener when working in electronics
equipment’s, the same is true for rings, wrist watches, bracelets
and familiar metals items.
Never wear thin-soled shoes and shoes with metal plates or
hobnails when working in electronics equipment’s or devices.
Hand creams and lotions containing silicone must not be used
since they can cause solderability and epoxy adhesion
problems. Lotions specifically formulated to prevent
contamination of circuit boards are available.
Work must never be done on live circuits where voltage
exceeds 30 unless in case of emergency. Under emergency
condition when one has to work with live circuit every precaution
must be taking into account to prevent accidental ground. Wear
rubber gloves and use properly insulating tools; cover the deck
with approved insulating materials; and make sure that at least
one person is present at all times.
Stacking of circuit boards and assemblies should be avoided to
prevent physical damage. Special racks and trays are provided
for handling.
END