- A
Wear a respirator mask to avoid inhaling toner particles.
Why wrong: While a mask is good practice, it is not the most critical safety step. The main precaution is to avoid touching the drum and to handle the cartridge carefully.
- B
Discharge the high-voltage power supply before touching the drum.
Why wrong: Laser printers have high-voltage components, but the immediate risk when handling the toner cartridge is toner exposure, not electric shock.
- C
Avoid touching the drum surface and handle the cartridge carefully to prevent toner spills.
This is correct. The drum is sensitive to light and scratches, and toner spills can cause health issues. Careful handling is essential.
- D
Use a vacuum cleaner to clean any spilled toner immediately.
Why wrong: Standard vacuum cleaners can spread toner dust into the air. Special toner vacuums with HEPA filters are required for safe cleanup.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to avoid touching the drum surface and handle the cartridge carefully to prevent toner spills. This is because the drum is a photosensitive component coated in a material that is easily damaged by light, oils from skin, and physical scratches, all of which cause print defects like smudging or ghosting. Additionally, toner is a fine, electrostatically charged powder that can be messy and difficult to clean, but under normal handling conditions it is not a respiratory hazard, so a respirator is unnecessary. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this question tests your knowledge of laser printer toner safety and proper cartridge handling, often appearing as a trap where incorrect options suggest using a vacuum (which can ignite toner) or wearing a respirator. A common memory tip is to remember that the drum is like a camera sensor—never touch it, and keep toner away from vacuums.
220-1202 Safety Procedures and Compliance Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of safety procedures and compliance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A technician is troubleshooting a laser printer that is producing smudged prints. The technician needs to remove the toner cartridge to inspect the drum. What safety precaution should be taken?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Avoid touching the drum surface and handle the cartridge carefully to prevent toner spills.
Option C is correct because the primary safety precaution when handling a toner cartridge is to avoid touching the drum surface, which is sensitive to light, oils, and scratches, and to handle the cartridge carefully to prevent toner spills. Toner is a fine powder that can be messy and difficult to clean, but it is not a respiratory hazard under normal handling conditions, so a respirator is not required. The high-voltage power supply in a laser printer is typically discharged automatically when the printer is unplugged, and using a vacuum cleaner for toner spills is dangerous because toner can be electrostatically charged and may cause a fire or explosion in a standard vacuum.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Wear a respirator mask to avoid inhaling toner particles.
Why it's wrong here
While a mask is good practice, it is not the most critical safety step. The main precaution is to avoid touching the drum and to handle the cartridge carefully.
- ✗
Discharge the high-voltage power supply before touching the drum.
Why it's wrong here
Laser printers have high-voltage components, but the immediate risk when handling the toner cartridge is toner exposure, not electric shock.
- ✓
Avoid touching the drum surface and handle the cartridge carefully to prevent toner spills.
Why this is correct
This is correct. The drum is sensitive to light and scratches, and toner spills can cause health issues. Careful handling is essential.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a vacuum cleaner to clean any spilled toner immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Standard vacuum cleaners can spread toner dust into the air. Special toner vacuums with HEPA filters are required for safe cleanup.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the misconception that toner is toxic and requires a respirator, or that high-voltage components need manual discharge, when in fact the immediate risk is physical damage to the drum and the electrostatic fire hazard from improper cleanup.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The drum in a laser printer is a photosensitive drum coated with materials like organic photoconductors (OPC) that are extremely sensitive to light, oils, and physical contact; even a fingerprint can cause permanent print defects. Toner is a thermoplastic powder that can be electrostatically charged, and when spilled, it can become airborne and create a combustible dust cloud, which is why only vacuums with grounded, anti-static hoses and HEPA filters are safe for cleanup. In real-world scenarios, technicians often accidentally touch the drum while removing the cartridge, leading to streaks or ghosting on prints, and improper vacuum use has caused fires in repair shops.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Safety Procedures and Compliance — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Safety Procedures and Compliance practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All 220-1202 questions
750 questions across all exam domains
- →
CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
220-1202 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related 220-1202 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Windows OS Features and Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows OS Features and Tools.
Windows Settings and Control Panel practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows Settings and Control Panel.
Windows Command-Line Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows Command-Line Tools.
Windows Administrative Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Windows Administrative Tools.
macOS Features and Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to macOS Features and Tools.
Linux Commands and File Permissions practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Linux Commands and File Permissions.
Mobile OS Features and Tools practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Mobile OS Features and Tools.
Virtualization and Cloud Technologies practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Virtualization and Cloud Technologies.
Physical Security Controls practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Physical Security Controls.
Logical Security Concepts practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Logical Security Concepts.
Wireless Security Protocols practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Wireless Security Protocols.
Malware Types and Removal practice questions
Practise 220-1202 questions linked to Malware Types and Removal.
Practice this exam
Start a free 220-1202 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Safety Procedures and Compliance — This question tests Safety Procedures and Compliance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Avoid touching the drum surface and handle the cartridge carefully to prevent toner spills. — Option C is correct because the primary safety precaution when handling a toner cartridge is to avoid touching the drum surface, which is sensitive to light, oils, and scratches, and to handle the cartridge carefully to prevent toner spills. Toner is a fine powder that can be messy and difficult to clean, but it is not a respiratory hazard under normal handling conditions, so a respirator is not required. The high-voltage power supply in a laser printer is typically discharged automatically when the printer is unplugged, and using a vacuum cleaner for toner spills is dangerous because toner can be electrostatically charged and may cause a fire or explosion in a standard vacuum.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1202 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.