give any three precautionary measures considered to ensure the safety of computers in a computer laboratory

PREVIOUSLY: ​THE THREE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF A COMPUTER

tHE KEYWORD HERE IS 'SAFETY'

Safety here means, a condition or a measure taken to protect computers from unlikely damage, risk, danger or burglary.

Computer Desk (picture courtesy of pinterest)

POSSIBLE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

​1. BURGLAR PROOFING

Physical access to the computer room should be restricted to ensure that only authorized persons get access to the computers.
To prevent unauthorized access to the computer room, the following controls should be implemented:

• Fit strong metallic grills and locks on the doors, windows & roofs (in case the roofing is weak).
• Lock the doors, (i.e., keep the computers in a strong room, which should remain firmly locked when not in use).
• Avoid welcoming strangers into the computer room.
• Use of Personal Identification cards.
• Use of fingerprint identification.
• Install security alarms at strategic access points so as to alert the security personnel in case of a break in.
• Use of special voice recorders that would be able to analyse the voice of a trespasser & check against the database containing the voice patterns of valid users.
• Secure/protect the computers with Passwords to minimize chances of theft.

2. VENTILATION.

Both computers and human beings emit heat energy into the environment.  Therefore, the computer room must have good circulation of air to avoid overheating and suffocation.
Proper ventilation enables the computers to cool, and therefore, avoids damaging the electronic parts.
The following facilities can ensure proper ventilation in a room:

• The room should have large & enough windows & doors
• Installing an air-conditioning system.
• Installing cooling fans.
• Avoid overcrowding of either machines or people in the room.

3. DUST CONTROL

• ​Set up the computer laboratory in a location away from excessive dust.
• Remove your shoes (keep your shoes clean)before you enter the computer room to prevent dust.
• The computer room should be fitted with special curtains that would reduce entry of dust particles.
• The floor should be covered with Carpets in order to absorb dust, and also absorb the noise made by chairs.
• Cover the computer devices with Dust covers when not in use or when cleaning the computer room.

NB:  If the environment is dusty, the computers should be regularly serviced to get rid of harmful dust.
The service should include; blowing dust from the System unit, cleaning the floppy drives, cleaning the Keyboard, cleaning the Monitor externally, and also cleaning all peripheral devices such as Printers and Mouse.

4. DUMP CONTROL.

​Humidity in the computer laboratory must be regulated to remain at an optimum 50%.  If the humidity is low, it allows static electricity to build up and causes damage to sensitive electronic components.  Similarly, high humidity of over 70% causes rusting of the metallic parts of the computer system.

• To eliminate low humidity, place humidifiers in the room, while high humidity can be controlled by installing dehumidifiers in the room.

5. HANDLING OF MATERIALS & EQUIPMENT.

​Computer devices must be handled with a lot of care as they are extremely fragile and can easily get damaged.  Dropping or bumping can cause permanent damage on the device, e.g., to transport the System unit always handle it on its frame.

• Always use the manufacturer’s shipping carton when transporting the devices.
• Do not place heavy objects on the computers.
• Protect the computer devices especially the Monitor & the disks from any electrostatic discharge.
• The computer devices should not be exposed to direct sunlight or warm objects.  This causes the internal components of the computer to get heated, and as a result, effects the computer’s solder-joints.
• Students should only perform operations on the computer that they are sure of and under supervision.  If in doubt, the student should ask to ensure that no damage is caused due to lack of proper knowledge.
• Computer equipment should be regularly checked and serviced.

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