Computer Safety Alert

1
01/93

Committed to
Safety
Computer Safety Alert Background Over the last 7
months, approximately 20 computers have
spontaneously begun to expel smoke or caught
fire. These incidents have occurred randomly and
have only recently been brought to our attention.
The potential for loss in each of the incidents
for hardware was relatively minor, however, the
potential for dramatic information losses exists.
The majority of the incidents involve AST PCs.
Historically, the mother board and / or fastram
cards have been the source of overheating. Two
PCs overheated sufficiently to cause fire which
required a call to the Fire Brigade. Other OPCOs
have experienced similar problems with other
Brand names. Learning Points To prevent a
computer fire, you should shut the unit off at
night or other times when the unit will be left
unattended for any length of time. Power should
be cut off at the plug in. The units should be
cleaned regularly to prevent dust building up on
the circuit boards. You should back-up your
information at least once a week. Back-up discs
should be stored away from the office. You should
review the location of your nearest fire
extinguisher and alarm. For more information,
contact TCE/4 at 76-7123