Ask STC-Montreal: About Disassembly Documentation
Ask STC-Montreal | Posted January 21st, 2009
Got questions about technical communication? Ask the community of STC-Montreal. Send us your questions for publication. (Questions may be edited.)
Today’s question to STC-Montreal is about instructing people how to take things apart safely.
Dear STC-Montreal,
My client has asked me to put together some disassembly documentation for their hardware. It seems that the recycling laws in Europe require that clear disassembly instructions be included so that the devices can be safely disposed of.
I’ve never written this type of documentation before, so I’m not sure what to include. At face value, it sounds like you just take the hardware guide and go in reverse (which is what my client half-suggested), but off the top of my head I can think of a few other issues that would need to be covered, such as:
- How to safely take a device apart (without a sledgehammer)
- Identifying what is recyclable and what is not
- How to dispose of toxic materials (like batteries)
- What can be returned to the manufacturer
- What can be re-used or re-purposed
Does anyone have any guidelines or any examples on the web that I can
look at to guide me through these unfamiliar waters?
— John David Hickey
Join the discussion. Leave your ideas and suggestions for John David Hickey in the comments below.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:06 am
Posted by Ev Larsen.
Great question, JD.
I don’t have any links immediately at hand, but do want to suggest that you clarify with your client up front the difference between Notes, Cautions, and Warnings in the instructions. I’ve found no organizations in my diverse career that are clear on these distinctions. The hierarchy I try to use is:
- Note: for informational purposes or extra emphasis;
- Caution: (bold) action can cause damage to the product, component, equipment, or environment;
- Warning: (bolder yet) action can cause health hazard or injury to humans.
Your use of these will fit your own situation, of course.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Posted by Patricia Boyle.
How to safely take a device apart (without a sledgehammer)
*If it contains a laser device, you need a certified technician to take it apart.
* Identifying what is recyclable and what is not
Depends on the country.
* How to dispose of toxic materials (like batteries)
Again, local and country laws plus any agreements the manufacture has enacted.
* What can be returned to the manufacturer
Depends on manufacturer
* What can be re-used or re-purposed
Same anwser.
Your first steps (besides the reverse assembly)should be:
Contact manufacturer to obtain guidelines.
Are there disposal laws pertinent to certain countries which apply to this hardware?
Are there safety issues is this hardware is disassembled?
January 21st, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Posted by Poppy Quintal.
Hi John David
“It seems that the recycling laws in Europe require that clear disassembly instructions be included so that the devices can be safely disposed of.”
It is usually the case that when there are government requirements for specific types of documentation there are (or should be) clear guidelines or even specs one must follow. If at all possible, find out what they are and get your hands on a copy.
Here are some possibilities:
(Please note that I am not sure if any of this is what you need exactly or, even if it is, the links here are to the most current versions. I just did a cursory search for likely stuff based the EU reference in you query):
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2003:037:0024:0038:EN:PDF
DIRECTIVE 2002/96/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 27 January 2003 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/faq_weee.pdf
FAQs
Also look at this example: http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/globalcitizenship/environment/productdata/pdf/disassembly_server_200732316330.pdf
This suggests that there may a specific form for this type of instructions, which would make your job much easier.
You will have to do a bit of research to make sure you get it right, but it looks like there is information out there. You should be able to bill your client for the time required to do this as well unless he provides you with all the up-to-date supporting information. Good luck.
Please let us know what you discover.
January 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 am
Posted by Andy Gural.
Taking products apart can also involve instructions for packing for shipping. Depending on the size of the product, this can be a separate document, so it may be necessary to make room for it. This may involve in package and on package instructions.