When working with any mission critical electronics rule #1: Be careful.
The saying "If it ain't coming off then your not trying hard enough" doesn't apply here. Read that again and remember it. Though industrial grade automation and control equipment can potentially last DECADES, that will only happen if you maintain it properly and are extremely careful when handling components. A simple screw holding a DB9 connector onto an Opto22 card, though you thought you unscrewed it all the way, still had a few threads to go and now you just destroyed a $450 device that has a 18 week lead time. Maybe you have a spare, maybe you don't.
Or your cloning hard drives for industrial computers using an anti-static mat and wrist strap, you come back from lunch to finish your last computer configuration and forget to put that wrist strap back on before picking up the hard drive. Now you are wondering why this last computer wont boot up...$500 SSD hard drive with 8 week lead time, Toast. Rule #2: Follow Proper Procedures
Check back regularly for more industrial automation and control rule updates!