I have been in machines with CRTs before, and have actually fixed (replaced) the TV Tuner on a 32" CRT Sony Trinitron TV and it's fine if you just respect how much voltage is running through it. If you don't respect that it can kill you, you will do stuff recklessly and it will get you killed. If you fear electricity, you will actually be smarter.

Most of the time, when you hear of someone getting killed by electricity on high-voltage components, it's because they didn't bother to take it seriously that it could kill them. So they got stupid.