COMPUTER LABORATORY
Definition:
A Computer laboratory is a room that has been specially prepared to facilitate
safe installation and use of computers.
SAFE USE & CARE OF COMPUTERS (COMPUTER HYGIENE)
Computer systems are expensive to acquire & maintain, and should therefore be
handled with great care.
Computer hygiene involves keeping the computers in good care and order.
A number of safety precautions, rules, and practices need to be observed in order
to avoid.
 Accidental injury to the users
 Damage of computers
 Lack of a conducive environment for using computers
- Factors to be considered when preparing a computer laboratory;
 Security of the computer software, hardware and related resources
 Reliability of the source of power
 Number of computers to be installed and the amount of floor space
available.
 The maximum number of users that the laboratory can accommodate.
The safety precautions and practices include;
1. BEHAVIOUR IN THE COMPUTER LABORATORY.
The following rules must be followed in and around a computer laboratory.
a). Entering the computer room.
 Only authorized people should enter the computer room.
 Remove your shoes before entering the computer room to prevent dust.
 Avoid smoking or exposing computers to dust. This is because; smoke
and dust contain small particles that can damage computer components
and cause wearing of the moving parts.
 Do not carry foods such as tea, coffees, chocolates, chewing gums, &
drinks/beverages to the computer room.
Food particles may fall into the moving parts of the computer and damage
them.
Liquids may spill into the computer parts causing rusting or electrical faults.
 Collect any waste materials (e.g., paper bits) which might be lying in
the computer room and put them into the dustbin.
 Avoid unnecessary movements, because you may accidentally knock
down the peripheral devices.
 Computer users should be trained on how to use computers
frequently.
 Computer illiterates should not be allowed to operate the
computers.
 Shut the door of the computer room properly after use.
MEASURES TO PROTECT THE COMPUTERS
1. Burglar proofing – To prevent theft and unauthorized access to the computer
room, the following controls should be implemented:
- Fit strong metallic grills and locks on the doors, windows so that
burglars/thieves may not break in.
- Keep the computers in a strong room, which should remain firmly locked
when not in use.
- Install security alarms at strategic access points so as to alert the security
personnel in case of a break in.
- Secure the computers with Passwords to minimize chances of theft .
- Hire security guards to be in charge of the room
- Use of Personal Identification cards or Use fingerprint identification to
ensure strangers do not enter the computer lab.
2. Fire prevention and control
Fire outbreaks in the computer laboratory can either be:
a). Electrical fire- this can be caused by electrical faults, either through
overloading of a single socket or short circuit from a naked (non-
insulated) wire.
b). General fire- this can be caused by inflammable chemicals,
smouldering cigarette butts or a burning match, among other causes.
 Keep the inflammable chemicals away in a store after using them to avoid
any accidents. (inflammable chemicals are normally used to clean
computer parts)
 Ensure that all electrical wires are properly insulated. Open wires or
cables must be properly covered with an Insulating tape or replaced with
new ones as they can cause fire leading to damage of equipment.
 Cables and power sockets should also be of the correct power rating to
avoid short circuits that can cause damage to the computer components.
 The computer room must always have a gaseous fire extinguisher
especially those containing Carbon (IV) Oxide in case of any accidents.
Note. Water based or Powder based fire extinguishers should not be used in the
computer room because;
Water causes rusting of the metallic parts and short circuits, while
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Powder particles settle on storage devices and may scratch them during
read/write operations and this will increase friction and wear of movable parts.

3. The computer room should be well laid out- with enough space for
movement.
 Computers should be placed on tables, wide desks to avoid accidentally
knocking them down.
 Power Cables should be laid out in trunks away from user paths to avoid
people stumbling on them as this might cause shock or power
interruptions.
4. Providing stable power supply
Ensure that there is a steady flow of input power to the computer in order to
prevent loss of data or information and also prevent damaging the computer’s
secondary storage media.
Power from main supply is not always stable and may sometimes experience; Functions of the UPS
i. Power surges (transients): This is a condition where there is high voltage
flowing to the system i. It regulates power from an unstable power source to the required clean
ii. Under voltage (Brownout): this refers to a condition where there is low stable voltage.
voltage flowing to the system. ii. It temporarily provides power to the computer in case of the main power
iii. Blackout: This is a situation where there is no power current flowing to failure.
the system This allows the user to save his/her work and shutdown the computer
iv. Power sag: This is a sudden drop of voltage, which lasts less than a using the correct procedure or turn on an alternative source of power
second. (power backup) such as a generator.
To protect the computer from being damaged due to power instabilities, iii. It prevents power surges and brownouts that might destroy the computer.
avoid connecting it directly to the main electricity supply. Instead, it is iv. Alerts the user of any power loss by beeping.
important to connect the computer to special power correction equipment or
device such as a Surge protector or Uninterruptible power supply (UPS), 5. Dust control
and then connect the UPS to the main supply.  Set up the computer laboratory in a location away from excessive dust.
 Cover the computer devices with Plastic Dust covers when not in use or
Surge protector: - Is used to protect the computer from high voltage flow as it when cleaning the computer room. Plastic is preferred because it does
suppresses the surge in an electric current ensuring a stable flow of power to the not absorb dust.
computer.  Remove your shoes before you enter the computer room to avoid
If it detects any brownout or disturbance on power flow, it causes the computer to carrying dust to the laboratory.
go on standby mode /operational method, a situation in which the power is
 The computer room should be fitted with special curtains at the windows
switched on but the computer is not actually functioning.
and add curtain net (drapes) to reduce dust entry into the lab.
 Window can also be fitted with an air conditioning system that filters
Uninterruptible power supply /source (UPS)
dust particles from the air entering the room.
The UPS gets charged when the main power is on. When the main power goes
 The floor should be covered with Carpets in order to absorb dust, and
off, the UPS gives some sound (usually a beep) to alert the user.
also absorb the noise made by chairs.
 Clean the computer equipment regularly with alcohol-based cleaning
agents. This is used to prevent the computer parts from corroding.

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 Use a blower or a vacuum cleaner to blow dust from the computer parts
regularly.
6. Dump control
Humidity, which is the presence of too much water vapour in the air, brings
about dampness. High humidity of over 70% causes rusting of the metallic
parts of the computer system. On the other hand, if the humidity is low, it
allows static electricity to build up and causes damage to sensitive electronic
components. Humidity in the computer laboratory must be regulated to
remain at an optimum 50%.
To eliminate low humidity, place humidifiers in the room, while high
humidity can be controlled by installing dehumidifiers in the room.
OR Fit a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to allow
free circulation of air.
7. The users should not eat or drink in the computer laboratory. Food
particles may fall in moving computer parts like the keyboard and clog them
while liquids may pour into electrical circuits and cause short circuits.
8. Proper Ventilation (Free air circulation)
Both computers and human beings emit heat energy into the environment.
Therefore, the computer room must have good circulation of air to avoid
overheating.
Proper ventilation enables the computers to cool, and therefore, avoids
damaging the electronic parts.
The following facilities can ensure proper ventilation in a room:
 The room should have large and enough windows and doors.
 Installing an air-conditioning system.
 Installing cooling fans.
 Avoid overcrowding of either machines or people in the room.
MEASURES THAT PROTECT THE COMPUTER USER
 All cables should be insulated-to avoid the danger of electric shock to
users.
 Cables should be laid away- from users’ paths to avoid tripping on them.
 Providing standard furniture (Ergonomics) - to avoid poor posture which
may lead to strain injury and limb fatigue.
The table should be of the right height relative to the seat to provide
comfortable hand positioning to prevent wrist, arms and hand strain.
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The seat should have a straight backrest to prevent spinal cord
injury/backache.
The seat should be high enough to allow the eyes of the user to be level
with the top of the screen; this helps to avoid muscle pain and backaches
caused by poor sitting posture.
 Providing antiglare screens and adjustable screens to avoid eye strain
and fatigue caused by over bright screens.
- Adjust the brightness of the monitor to a comfortable light for the
eyes.
- Tilt the computer so that the display faces away from the windows.
This will minimize glare (or bright reflections) on the screen.
- Position the lighting equipment or sources of light such that glare (or
bright reflections) on the display are minimized. Where necessary,
use indirect lighting to avoid bright spots on the display.
- Avoid using a flickering monitor. This causes extreme eyestrain that
can damage your eyesight.
- You should have glasses that are specifically suited for working with
the computer display.
- Have your eyes examined regularly by a vision care specialist.
- The distant between the user & screen should be between 450 – 500
mm.
- Take frequent breaks to rest your eyes and relax your muscles.
 The room should be properly ventilated- to avoid dizziness caused by
lack of enough oxygen.
 The walls of the computer room should not be painted with over bright
reflective oil paints and the screen should face away from the window to
avoid glare caused by bright backgrounds.
 Overcrowding- in the computer room is not allowed. This may cause
suffocation.
 COMPUTER HANDS-ON SKILLS Shutting down a computer
The correct procedure of shutting down a computer at all times must be followed
STARTING-UP (BOOTING) A COMPUTER. in order to prevent:
1. Before switching on a computer, make sure that all the components are  Data loss
properly connected, and that the computer is connected to an active power  Damage of computer programs
source.  Damage of computer components
2. Turn on the switch at the source of the power supply. If your computer is
connected to an Uninterruptible power supply (UPS), turn it on after Procedure of shutting down
switching the main supply. - Ensure that all the work has been properly stored, this process is
3. Switch on the power button on the Monitor first, and then switch on that on called saving.
the System unit. - Close all programs that may be currently running
After the power is on, the computer automatically goes through a process called
 Click the start button
Booting.
 On the start menu click turn off computer
Booting refers to starting up of a computer and the entire process that makes the
 On the message box that appears click TURN OFF
computer ready for use.
Types of Booting
There are 2 types of booting, namely; Key boarding and mouse skills
a). Cold booting. Key board lay out
b). Warm booting. The Keyboard is an input device that consists of keys used for typing letters,
numbers and symbols.
Cold booting It contains a range of alphabetic characters (A – Z), digits 0 – 9, and other
This happens when a computer that was originally off is switched on by pressing symbols frequently used to represent data items.
the power button on the system unit. It also has some command keys for giving special instructions to the computer.

Warm booting Classification of keyboard keys

This happens when a computer that was originally on is forced to restart. I. Alphanumeric Keys
II. Function Keys
Boot Process III. Cursor Movement and Editing Keys
When Power is switched on, the computer starts by checking all its components IV. Special purpose Keys
to determine whether they are available for use and whether they are functioning V. Numeric Keypad Keys
correctly.
It does this by executing a small program called the Power-On-Self-Test 1. Alphanumeric keys (also called typing keys )
(POST) that is permanently stored in ROM. They include; alphabetical letters a-z,
POST prepares the computer for use by instructing it to perform a number of tests  Numbers arranged on line 1, 2, 3 -12
when booting up.  Special symbols i.e.?,/,%.
POST carries out the tests through the help of a special program called Basic  Caps lock, enter, tab, spacebar, and backspace.
Input / Output System (BIOS) which checks all hardware components of the
computer to confirm whether they are functioning properly and whether they are Caps lock key-pressing it once helps the user to write in upper case letters
available for use. [capital] to switch back to lower case letters press same key again.
In case there is no error, the computer then displays the Operating System name
then immediately displays the desktop that contains the START button.

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 Enter key [return key]-pressing this key forces the text cursor to move to
the beginning of the next line. Cursor is a blinking underscore [-] or
vertical beam [I]that shows where the text appears
Enter key is also used to instruct the computer to execute a command that
has been selected on the screen
Tab key- ( ) It is used in certain programs to move the text cursor
or a certain text at set intervals on the same line to the required position on
the screen, e.g., 10mm, 20mm, etc.
The space bar-This bar creates a space between words during typing.
The back space key- This key deletes characters from right to left on the
same line.
2. Function keys
These are used for tasks that occur frequently in various programs. This are
usually located along the top of the keyboard and are labelled F1 up to F12
3. Cursor movement and editing keys
- These are keys used to move cursor on the screen
- Includes:-
Arrow keys-pressing the right or left arrow key moves the cursor on
characters to right or left respectively. Up or down arrow key moves the text
cursor one line up or down respectively.
Page up and page down keys-page up moves the cursor up one page in case the
document has many pages. Page down moves the cursor down one page in case
the document has many pages.
Home and end keys
Pressing home key moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line
Pressing the end keys moves the cursor to the end of the current line
Editing keys-are used to delete or insert character in a document
They include;
Insert key- this key inserts or replaces a character at the cursor position
Delete [Del] keys-this deletes character at the cursor at the position from left to
right
Backspace key. It has a backward arrow () marked on it.
Used to erase characters to the left of the cursor (i.e., from right to left on the
same line).
When pressed, it makes the cursor move one space backwards and the immediate
letter or number to the left is erased.
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4. Special purpose keys
- They are used in combination with the other keys to give certain commands.
Examples; Esc, Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Num Lock, Scroll Lock
- For example CTL+ESC is used to display the start menu.
SHIFT key ( )
This special key works in combination with other keys.
 It can be used to get single capital letters. Hold down the SHIFT key & press
an alphabet key to get the letter in its capital form.
 It is used to get the punctuation marks on top of the Number keys or the
symbols on top of certain keys especially on the alphanumeric section.
To get the punctuation mark on top of a number key or the symbol on top of a
certain key; press & hold down the SHIFT key before pressing the required key.
ESCAPE (ESC) key.
It is used when you want to quit doing some task, i.e. escape from or to cancel a
task.
CONTROL (CTRL) key.
It controls various functions in combination with other keys, e.g.
CTRL+”S” is used to give the command for saving the text/object.
5. Numeric keypad keys
- They are located on the right hand side of the keyboard, they consist of
numbers 0-9and arithmetical signs [+, _, x, /]
- They help the user to rapidly enter numeric data
- NB-the number on the numeric key pad can only be used when the num lock
key [situated on the numeric key pad] is on.
- They can be used as cursor movement and editing keys when num lock key is
turned off.
-
Commonly Confusing Keyboard Keys
Some key shapes cause much confusion.
The I, 1, l and o, O, 0 keys
Look closely to spot the difference between capital “I”, one (1) and “l”
(lowercase “L”), and between small “o”, capital “O” and zero “0”.
The Slash (/) and Backslash (\) keys
The slash (“/”) is used as:
- A division symbol when writing a formula.
- To separate parts of a path in a file name.
The backslash (“\”) is used:
- In MS-DOS to separate parts of a path in a file name.
 The Space, Hyphen ( -) and Underscore ( _ ) Keys.
The Space is entered using the Spacebar on the keyboard.
The Hyphen key (dash or minus -) & the Underscore (underline _) are on
the same physical key top. To get the underscore, use the SHIFT.

Single & Double quote, Accent grave, and Tilde.

Single quote (‘) & Double quote (“)
Both symbols are on the same physical key top. To get the double quote, use
the SHIFT.
Accent grave (`) &Tilde (~) are found on the same key top. The Tilde is
used in Mathematics.

The Parenthesis ( ), Square brackets [ ], & Curly braces { }

Each of these symbols is used differently depending on what program you are
running. Moving a mouse on a flat surface makes the pointer on the screen to move in the
same direction as the mouse itself.
Mathematical symbols (+, -, *, /, ^) The index finger should rest on the left button while the middle finger rests on the
Slash (/) - used for division, right button
Asterisk (*) - for multiplication,
Plus (+) symbol - for addition, Four mouse operations
Minus (-) symbol - is used for subtraction, - Point: - this means moving the mouse until the tip of the pointer on the
Up carat (^) - indicates exponential (rising to a power). screen is over the item you want to select.
- Clicking-this means pressing and releasing the left mouse button once. a
Using typing tutor click often selects on objects
This is a type of software that helps in increasing your typing speed and accuracy. - Double clicking-this means pressing the left button twice in quick
succession. Double clicking usually opens a file or starts a program.
Examples of typing tutor software - Right clicking-pressing the right hand mouse button once displays lists of
 Mavis beacon commands from which the user can make a selection. This list of commands
 Teaches typing is called a short cut menu or context sensitive menu
 Typing poll - Drag and drop-this is where the user drags an item from one location on
 Typing master the screen to another.
 Touch tutor Procedure for drag and drop
MOUSE SKILLS  Point to the item you want to drag
A Mouse consists of 4 parts: -  Press the left hand mouse button and hold it down
1). A Casing - to assist in holding the mouse in the hand.  Slide the mouse until the pointer reaches the desired position on the
2). A Roller ball (OR a sensor mechanism in case of the optical mouse) – screen.
used to slide/move the mouse on a flat surface. It also enables the cursor to  Finally release the mouse button and the item will be dropped in the new
move on the screen as required. location.
3). The Sensor Buttons (Right &Left) – used for making selections.
4). A Cable - connects the mouse to the System unit.