This already happens. The most common AC repair needed is a new capacitor. It's a $20 part.
Call your dad's business, you probably get a quote for $100-ish and it's fixed in ten minutes.
Call a PE owned shop and they are likely to tell you that your entire system needs replaced. Quote $5-$8k.
Reports like this are already common place, and the roll-ups of former small-businesses in industry like HVAC that the PE people celebrate will only make this worse for customers.
Going to Ferguson.com and ordering a replacement capacitor to have on hand for $30 works even better.
It’s literally just turning off the power to the compressor, using a screwdriver to open the panel, unplugging the old capacitor, and plugging a new one in.
Please don’t give out dangerous advice, if you want to risk electrocution, that’s your choice. Don’t encourage others to perform work unsafely.
Maybe print the instructions and leave it with capacitor or watch a couple YouTube videos first.
The UX to make this consumer replaceable looks more like
1. Add a bleed resistor to the capacitor (its default state when unplugged should be discharged)
2. Use a modern consumer grade connector (ie sealed molex or deutsche)
If you really don't want to run the risk of being electrocuted, it might just be worth the 250 dollars to have someone who does this sort of thing all day to come and do the repair.
Regardless .. discharge the cap, blown or not.
Clear the chamber, even if you removed the magazine and checked it yesterday.
etc.
The general principles of health and safety are intended to be largely overkill and mostly not strictly required, they're in place for that one time that kills or injures.