Computer Safety Alert Background

1. Safety Alert 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 PC’s. Historically, the mother board and / or fastram cards have been the source of overheating. Two PC’s overheated sufficiently to cause fire which required a call to the Fire Brigade. Other OPCO’s 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