CompTIA A+ Core Certification: Operational Procedures - Environmental Impacts and Appropriate Controls

220-1102: Objective 4.5: Summarize environmental impacts and local environmental controls.
IT equipment is not restricted to climate-controlled data centers, and an IT professional must be aware of how different environments can impact the performance of a computer or network.
For the 220-1102 exam, you need to know how to control temperature and humidity, what an MSDS is and how to use it, and how to deal with dust and debris when it comes to computers.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
A material safety data sheet (MSDS) is a document that gives information about particular substances, such as the toner in a laser printer’s toner cartridge.

Any product that uses chemicals is required to have an MSDS. An MSDS includes the following information:
- Proper treatment if a person comes into contact with or ingests the substance
- How to deal with spills
- How to properly handle and dispose of the substance
- How and where to store the substance


Note: The term MSDS was updated to SDS (Safety Data Sheet). Both terms are seen in common use, but SDS is the current standard.

Tip: MSDS personal protection ratings are designed to inform the consumer of the safe way to handle the material.

The recommendations for ratings A–D are as follows:
- Rating A: Safety glasses
- Rating B: Safety glasses and gloves
- Rating C: Safety glasses, gloves, and apron
- Rating D: Face shield, eye protection, gloves, and apron

Most companies have their MSDS documents online. For example, accessing www.hp.com/us-en/hp-information/sustainable-impact/document-reports.xhtml and searching for HP MSDS takes you to all the MSDS documents for Hewlett-Packard inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges, cleaners, digital projector and printer lamps, batteries, and so on. MSDS documents are usually in PDF format, so be sure to have Adobe Reader or another PDF reader installed.

Generally, substances that contain chemicals should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight. “Cool” means at the lower end of the OSHA guideline, about 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius). Often this involves a storage closet that sits away from the general work area and outside the air filtration system. Such a closet is also usually less humid than other parts of the building.
As far as disposal goes, any substance with an MSDS should not be thrown away when you are finished with it. It should usually be recycled according to the procedures documented in the MSDS. This recycling can occur by interacting with the local municipality (in the case of batteries) or by returning items directly to the manufacturer or vendor (in the case of ink/toner cartridges).
Know what to do when someone is adversely affected by a product that contains chemicals. A person might have skin irritation from coming into contact with toner particles or a cleaner that was used on a keyboard or mouse.

As a technician, it is your job to find out how to help such a person. If you do not have direct access to the MSDS, contact your organization’s facilities department or building management. Perhaps the cleaning crew uses a particular cleaning agent that you are not familiar with, and only the facilities department has been given the MSDS for it. Proactively reviewing all MSDS documents is best, but in this case, you probably won’t have access to the document. Collaborate with the facilities department to get the affected person the proper first aid, and, if necessary, take the person to the emergency room. Finally, remove the affected device (if it is a keyboard or mouse, for example) and replace it with a similar device until you can get the original device cleaned properly.

Toxic Waste Handling/Disposal
The CompTIA A+ certification exam addresses three types of safe handling for computer-related toxic waste:
- Batteries
- Toner
- Other devices and assets, such as CRT displays, cellphones, and tablets
The following sections provide guidance on toxic waste handling.

Recycling Batteries
Be sure to properly dispose of batteries. Nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cad), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), and lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries for cellphones, computers, and other electronics should not be discarded as trash; neither should lead-acid cells used in UPS battery backup units. If these items are not recycled properly, they will become toxic waste.
These batteries can be safely recycled in several ways, to avoid environmental threats:
- For small numbers of rechargeable batteries or devices that contain rechargeable batteries, use a recycling drop-off station (such as a drop-off station at an electronics retailer).
- For large numbers of rechargeable batteries, devices, or UPS devices with batteries, contact an electronics recycler in your area.
- Some batteries can be returned directly to the manufacturer for recycling.
- During storage and transport, make sure battery contacts are prevented from touching each other. Check and follow regulations regarding the shipment of Li-Ion batteries, which pose a potentially high fire and explosion hazard in some environments.

Toner
Toner bottles and cartridges for laser printers and copiers should be recycled instead of discarded. Unlike with batteries, users can earn money or credits toward additional purchases by recycling toner bottles and cartridge products at local office supply stores or toner recycling shops. Although inkjet cartridges are not recognized as toxic waste, they also should not be discarded; they can be turned in for credit at office supply stores or inkjet cartridge remanufacturers. Some manufacturers include a prepaid label in the box containing the ink, for easy returns.
After removing the old toner cartridge, use a specially designed toner vacuum to remove loose toner from inside the printer before inserting the new cartridge.

Cellphones and Tablets
As mentioned previously, batteries for cellphones and tablets should be recycled. But before you dispose of these devices, be sure that any personal or company data is safely deleted and the SIM card is removed. Data to check for includes contacts, messages, downloads, pictures, and voicemails. Browser data should be cleared as well.

Temperature and Humidity Level Awareness and Proper Ventilation
You should be aware of the temperature and humidity measurements in your building. You also should be thinking about airborne particles and proper ventilation. Collectively, OSHA refers to this as air treatment. Air treatment involves removing air contaminants and controlling both room temperature and humidity. Although no specific government policy covers this, recommendations suggest a temperature range of 68–76 degrees Fahrenheit (20–24 degrees Celsius) and a humidity range of between 20 percent and 60 percent. Remember that a higher humidity level means a lower chance of ESD, but conditions might get a bit uncomfortable for workers; a compromise must be sought. If the organization uses air handlers to heat, cool, and move the air, it will be somewhat difficult to keep the humidity much higher than 25–30 percent.

Proper Ventilation
An organization should use local exhaust (to remove contaminants generated by the organization’s processes) and introduce an adequate supply of fresh outdoor air through natural or mechanical ventilation. For air treatment, organizations should use filtration devices, electronic cleaners, and possibly chemical treatments activated with charcoal or other sorbents (that is, materials used to absorb unwanted gases). Most filtration systems use charcoal and HEPA filters. These filters should be replaced at regular intervals. Air ducts and dampers should be cleaned regularly, and ductwork insulation should be inspected periodically.
If a considerable level of airborne particles remains, portable air filtration enclosures can be purchased that also use charcoal and HEPA air filters or that possibly utilize ultraviolet light to eliminate particles. These enclosures are commonly found in computer repair facilities because of the amount of dust and debris sitting in computers that are awaiting repairs. Some organizations even provide masks or respirators for their employees.

Compressed Air and Vacuum Systems
A PC workbench can be equipped with a compressed air system and vacuum system. This way, the PC tech can blow out the dust and dirt from a computer while, at the same time, vacuuming it. Otherwise, the best approach is generally to take the computer outside when cleaning it.

Power Surges, Under-voltage Events, and Power Failures
Reliable power delivery at a consistent level is essential in protecting electronic equipment such as computers and televisions. Even in communities with quality power delivery, power surges and sags endanger computers. An electrical outlet might be properly wired (see the section “Equipment Grounding,” earlier in this guide), but other threats can affect the well-being of computers or other devices connected to the outlet:
- Power surges
- Under-voltage events
- Power failures

Surge Suppressors
A surge suppressor is designed to block power surges from damaging the equipment plugged into it. Power surges are defined as overvoltage events that last no more than 50ms and that can reach voltage levels as high as 6000V and 3000A.
Surge suppressors are rated in joules to indicate the amount of energy a surge suppressor can absorb before failing. All other factors being equal, the higher the joule rating, the better. However, keep in mind that a unit with multiple metal-oxide varistors (MOVs) on each power lead might provide better protection than a single large MOV.
MOVs absorb power surges and gradually wear out. Although many (but not all) surge suppressors have lights that indicate when protection has failed, only a few models stop providing power if protection fails.
Pay attention to how many computers are connected to a surge suppressor. Add the combined wattage or volt-amp ratings of the devices to be plugged into the surge suppressor, and compare that to the maximum that the surge suppressor can support. Usually, a surge suppressor can handle two basic computers and two monitors. However, a high-powered device such as a laser printer should get its own surge suppressor.
Surge suppressors should be replaced every three to five years, or right after an event that damages the MOVs, such as a nearby lightning strike, frequent power flickers, burn marks, or smoke in any outlet on the unit.

Battery Backup Units
Power failures (total loss of power) and under-voltage events (sustained voltage drops of as much as half the rated output) stop computers and peripherals from working. Unfortunately, if computers and peripherals lose power in the middle of backups, updates, or reports, files can be corrupted. The solution is to use a battery backup uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
 

Battery backup units are rated in two ways: volt-amps (VA) and Watts (W).

Different battery backup units with the same wattage rating can vary in terms of the VA rating. However, the usual calculation for comparing the W and VA ratings is to assume that VA × .60 = W. Thus, a UPS with a 1000VA rating provides about 600W of power.
In addition to providing enough power to run connected devices (such as a computer, a display, and USB devices, but not a laser printer), a UPS needs to be able to run on battery an appropriate amount of time before the UPS shuts it down.

This is called the runtime. Some vendors and third-party websites (for example, www.easycalculation.com/physics/classical-physics/ups-power-requirement.php) provide calculators that use input watts or amperage draws to calculate the UPS size needed. To increase runtime, select a unit with a larger VA or W rating.

Note: Do not use the battery-backed outlets on a UPS for devices such as laser printers. These power-hungry devices can quickly drain the UPS battery or damage the unit. For such devices, use the surge-suppressed outlets that are not connected to the battery.

Table: provides a quick review of what the 220-1102 exam requires you to know about dealing with power surges, blackouts, and brownouts.

Table: Electrical Conditions and Protective Measures