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Difficulty: MediumSafety Procedures and Environmental Controls

Following maintenance on a company's data center HVAC system, technicians report experiencing frequent static electricity discharges when opening rack enclosures and handling internal components. Environmental monitoring sensors indicate that ambient temperature remains stable at 20°C (68°F), but relative humidity has dropped to 15%. Which of the following environmental adjustments is the MOST appropriate action to mitigate electrostatic discharge (ESD) risks?

  1. Adjust the HVAC system controls to raise and maintain relative humidity levels between 40% and 55%.Answer
  2. B
    Lower the room ambient temperature setting below 15°C (59°F) to condense atmospheric static charges.
  3. C
    Install high-velocity industrial circulating fans directly in front of rack cabinets to accelerate air circulation.
  4. D
    Disconnect equipment rack ground wires to isolate chassis components from building electrical loops.

Answer

Adjust the HVAC system controls to raise and maintain relative humidity levels between 40% and 55%.
Low relative humidity (15%) is a primary cause of electrostatic discharge (ESD) in server rooms and data centers because dry air allows static charges to accumulate on equipment and personnel. Raising relative humidity to a recommended target between 40% and 55% allows tiny amounts of airborne moisture to continuously dissipate static charges to ground naturally, preventing ESD events while remaining safely below levels that cause condensation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the root cause of increased electrostatic discharge in the environment.
Extremely low relative humidity (15%) reduces airborne moisture, preventing static charges from naturally bleeding off materials.
Dry air acts as an electrical insulator, allowing high electrostatic potential to accumulate on surfaces and technicians.
2
Determine the proper environmental standard for humidity control in computer infrastructure rooms.
Standard operational procedures specify keeping server room relative humidity between 40% and 55%.
This range provides optimal static charge mitigation without exceeding humidity levels that cause moisture condensation.
3
Select the correct HVAC control adjustment.
Increasing HVAC humidity control settings to 40%-55% resolves the ESD hazard.
Proper environmental regulation is an essential environmental control for protecting sensitive microelectronics.

Key Concept

Environmental Relative Humidity Control for ESD Mitigation
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Topics

Safety Procedures and Environmental Controls

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