I’ll introduce the policy for how IT departments should respond when PCs get water-damaged.

Background: Spilled Coffee on PC and Water-Damaged It

Consultation: “I spilled coffee on my MacBook…” came as an internal inquiry. Do you all create manuals for this kind of thing? 😅 For now, I sent them this URL, but I was curious about what each company does, so I consulted about it.

😊 MacBook水没→無事復活！パソコンにコーヒーかかった時の対処 | ゴダラボ

Below, I’ll share the insights I received from IT professionals in response.

Responses When PCs Get Water-Damaged

Immediately Repair or Replace

• It might seem fixed at first glance, but it can lead to fires later, so we basically replace them
• The keyboard might become unusable or malfunctions might occur days later, so we basically handle it with replacement
• There's a risk of electrical leakage, so we retrieve and replace/repair without question

Many people said this, and it seems most basically handle replacement and arrange for repairs.

Also, regarding cost burden, most places ask the department to cover it.

Don't Create Response Policies or Manuals

Don’t create manuals.

Whether to publish manuals or not makes a difference, but some people advised that creating water damage response manuals might be interpreted as condoning water damage, so it’s better to just accumulate know-how within the IT department.

Also, since damage to loaned equipment can be a disciplinary matter for employees, it’s better not to respond carelessly.

Summary

• Don't create response manuals for PC water damage
• Repair or replace immediately since problems might occur like a time bomb

That’s all from the Gemba, where we wanted to know the IT department response when PC water damage is reported.