Be careful handling computer racks

[Tony Duell]

> 
> Tony Duell wrote:
> > Minor cuts/bruises/strains/burns are, alas, something that happens all 
> > too frequenctly. (particuarly the cuts and burns...) I try to avoid them, 
> > of course, but they happen. 
> 
> Cuts, lacerations and bruises tend to be all too common when working on 
> any computer, not just old iron. The copper heatsink in my machine 

Off-topic, but modern consumer electronics (particularly the cheap 'own 
brands' tends to be assembled in thin sheet-metal cases with edges that 
will give you a nasty-ish cut if you catch them. 

> Can't remember the last time I burned myself working on a PC though. On 

Modern components shouldn't get hot enough to burn you :-). Glassfets are 
another matter. And an IC that has developped internal shorts can get hot 
enough to burn you, some DRAMs were prone to this. 

> "old iron", never (I haven't had the joy of working on a PDP or similar, 
> though "some form of PDP11" is still on my "things I want to have owned 
> at least once in my lifetime" list). Last time I burned myself with a 
> soldering iron was when I was trying to fix the Jupiter Ace (which 
> reminds me, I still haven't managed to get Lee Davison to return that 
> thing... grrrr...)

Yes, I was thinking of bruns from the soldering iron, or something heated 
by it Most of the time it's when I am soldering a piece of wire to a 
large-ish metal object (pin of a 4mm plug) and I don't let it cool for 
long enough before taking it out of the vice. Two nasty burns I;ce had 
from such causes were the time somebody tripped over the mains lead of my 
soldering iron, pulling the latter back through my hand so I ended up 
holding it by the metal shaft (and it was a few seconds before I realised 
it), and the tiome I dropped a blob of molten solder on my skin.

-tony