Preventing Electrostatic Damage - Compaq Armada E500 Series Maintenance And Service Manual

After removing a hard drive, place it into a static-proof bag.
After removing a CD-ROM drive or a diskette drive, place it into a
static-proof bag.
Do not use excessive force when inserting a drive into a drive bay.
After inserting a hard drive into the hard drive bay, always reinsert
either the original hard drive security plate or the tamper-resistant
security plate to prevent the hard drive from accidentally
disconnecting.
Avoid exposing a hard drive to products that have magnetic fields
such as monitors or speakers.
Avoid exposing a drive to temperature extremes or to liquids.
If a drive must be mailed, do the following: place the drive into a
bubble pack mailer or other suitable form of protective packaging;
label the package "Fragile: Handle With Care."

4.4 Preventing Electrostatic Damage

Many electronic components are sensitive to electrostatic discharge
(ESD). Circuitry design and structure determine the degree of
sensitivity. Networks built into many integrated circuits provide some
protection, but in many cases the discharge contains enough power to
alter device parameters or melt silicon junctions.
A sudden discharge of static electricity from a finger or other conductor
can destroy static-sensitive devices or microcircuitry. Often the spark is
neither felt nor heard, but damage occurs. An electronic device exposed
to electrostatic discharge may not be affected at all and can work
perfectly throughout a normal cycle. It may function normally for a
while, then degrade in the internal layers, reducing its life expectancy.
Removal and Replacement Preliminaries "-!