A garbage disposal is small but wired to power and plumbed to the sink drain, so the safety focus is cutting the electricity first. The awkward part is that it hangs under the sink on a mounting ring and is heavier than it looks.
Pro tip: Keep the mounting assembly and splash guard together, since a replacement mount may not match your new sink.
Watch out: Confirm the power is off with a tester before touching the wiring. The disposal is wired to a live circuit.