Electro-Static-Discharge should not be treated lightly. I worked many years in the electronics and semiconductor manufacturing arena. I know first hand that ESD can do serious damage to components. Don't adopt a cavalier attitude such as "Well, I don't have shag carpeting, so I'm okay". I've seen electron microscope photos of PN junctions totally obliterated by ESD. Better to err on the side of caution in this case. You can Google ESD for more info.