What does ESD stand for, and what measures are used during maintenance to prevent it?

• A. Electrostatic discharge; use anti-static wrist straps, mats, grounding before handling components.
• B. Electrical surge disposal; use insulated gloves.
• C. Electrostatic device shielding; use rubber mats only.
• D. Emergency static detection; use grounding clamp only.

Answer: (A)

Electrostatic discharge is the sudden flow of electricity between two objects at different electrical potentials. In maintenance, a tiny static charge on you or your workstation can zap a sensitive electronic component, causing damage that isn’t always visible.

The best way to prevent this is to create a controlled path for any charge to ground and keep components on a safe, conductive surface. That means using an anti-static wrist strap plugged into a grounded point, placing components and tools on an anti-static mat, and ensuring everything you touch or handle is grounded before you start work. These measures work together: the wrist strap gives your body a direct discharge path, the mat provides a grounded surface for parts, and grounding before handling eliminates potential differences before contact.

Other options miss key elements. They don’t address grounding and protective measures together, or they use terms that don’t reflect standard ESD practices, so they wouldn’t reliably prevent static damage.