Yep
I placed a piece of electrical tape over the contacts. You don't want a static discharge to get to those.
Just treat it like a loaded gun with an electrical trigger. If you're near a metal water pipe that goes into the ground or something else that you can discharge yourself on, it's a good idea to discharge any static you may have. Get it off and put it somewhere safe and out of the way (no plastic containers as they are bad about static; put it in a cardboard or wood box on a wood shelf or concrete floor).
Sorry if I scared you a little bit. They can be dangerous, but as long as you play it safe, there's really not much to worry about.
Remember that the force will be exerted fore and aft if it does discharge, so hold it from the sides and don't point it toward anyone or anything that you don't want damaged.