Computer is a very sensitive device and needs to be placed very carefully and its Physical
environment requires some special
arrangements, protections and precautions.
These precautions and protections are not only necessary for computers but are equally important for computer users. There are many aspects, which should be considered to prepare a protective environment. A few are discussed below:
Air conditioning - computer equipment and its peripherals generally requires steady, mild temperatures so that its
components and circuits could be avoided by melting, burning and circuit boards faults.
Level floors and tables - computer equipment generally performs best on level, stable floors and tables. Tables must be stable and must not have any jolt.
Ergonomic furniture - staff using computer equipment need ergonomic tables, chairs and accessories to minimize the incidence of workplace injuries, stress in neck and Back bone problems.
Dust Minimization - Dusty environment is very harmful and detrimental to the operation of computer equipment. Regular cleaning of rooms for removal of dust and dirt is very essential.
In some cases special air filtering equipment is needed to remove all traces of dust from the local environment. CPU must remain covered with casing in order to prevent from dust and accidental short-circuiting.
Humidity control - Humidity can also be harmful to computer equipment - very wet and very dry environments can cause some problems, particularly rust of metal components.
Fire Prevention - Computer equipment are operated by electricity therefore computer equipment are susceptible to fire - fire detection alarms, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers and fire management plans are needed to be in place.
Static Electricity - Power supply to computer equipment must be steady and without power surge and fluctuations. Power surge and fluctuation are fatal to components and causes damages to CPU power supply motherboard, hard disks, monitors and plug-in cards in CPU. It is recommended that equipment must be installed with an UPS and power stabilizer.
Following precautions are required to minimize the possible electrostatic discharge induced failures in the computer room:
(a) Install
conductive flooring (conductive adhesive must be used when laying tiles on the floor).
(b) Use conductive wax (if waxed floors are necessary in computer site).
(c) Make sure that all equipment and flooring are properly grounded and are at the same ground potential.
(d) Use conductive tables and chairs.
(e) Use a grounded wrist strap (or other grounding method) when handling circuit boards.
(f) Store spare electronic modules / circuits boards in anti-static containers.
(g) Always maintain recommended humidity level and airflow rates in the computer room.
Vibrations - Computer equipment must be safe from any sort of vibrations particularly if equipment is placed in any industrial concern or factory or heavy machinery environment. Vibration can seriously affect hard disk functioning.
The physical environment / surrounding of an operating or stored computer have an important role in the long-term reliability and durability of the computer equipment and peripherals. Computer rooms, office areas, and industrial sites or any sort of other premises present varying environmental conditions that may affect the operation and safety of the computer equipment. Environmental parameters associated with contamination and corrosion may need to be considered, evaluated, and possibly controlled during the computer site preparation process.