Static electricity, how to avoid downloads
The majority of the people has ever experienced an unpleasant feeling to get a car and put your hand on the door to close it; It's a cramp, a small discharge to be due to static electricity which has hoarded the vehicle during the March - through the friction of the air with the plate - and that is released through the human body - an excellent conductor of electricity, unlike rubber wheels, which are insulators-toward the ground.
Static electricity is generated to result of an accumulation or excess of electrical charge (usually by friction) on an insulating material, or in one that despite being conductor of electricity is isolated - as in the example of the car, whose wheelchair prevents that you can release the accumulated static electricity - and where he is trapped until it gets released through a conductive pathwaythen causing the spark or discharge.
Insulation materials that have greater ability to generate static electricity include glass, hair people, wool, aluminium, nylon, polyester, polyurethane, teflon, paper, or acrylics and, of course, any objects that are made with these materials (carpet, artificial grass, carpet, upholstery, furniture, pens, clothing, etc).
In work activities in which substances with flammable properties are used, the static electricity can cause accidents such as explosions or fires
These light downloads are very annoying, but not dangerous to health, except in certain circumstances, as in the case of the persons carrying pacemaker. However, in the workplace, in activities that substances which are flammable or explosive properties are used, static electricity can cause an explosion or fire.
Other work accidents which may occur as a result of static electricity are related to involuntary reflex movements that workers can do to receive a shock. For example, the affected person may fall is doing a job in height, or suddenly drop a load, or make a mistake while handling machinery. In addition, static electricity makes that they accumulate particles of dust on surfaces with static load, and thus become dirty already finished products and from becoming clogged filters, strainers, piping, etc., resulting in economic damage to enterprises.
Some measures that can be taken to limit the generation of static electricity or avoid its risks are:
Static electricity is generated to result of an accumulation or excess of electrical charge (usually by friction) on an insulating material, or in one that despite being conductor of electricity is isolated - as in the example of the car, whose wheelchair prevents that you can release the accumulated static electricity - and where he is trapped until it gets released through a conductive pathwaythen causing the spark or discharge.
Insulation materials that have greater ability to generate static electricity include glass, hair people, wool, aluminium, nylon, polyester, polyurethane, teflon, paper, or acrylics and, of course, any objects that are made with these materials (carpet, artificial grass, carpet, upholstery, furniture, pens, clothing, etc).
Static electricity for health risks
In our daily life are produced numerous situations in which we can observe the effects of static electricity, or receive light downloads for their cause. For example, we can see how curling hair when we brush it, or suffer an electric shock by touching another person, or a metal object, after walking across a carpeted floor or get readymade garments with nylon, wool, polyester...In work activities in which substances with flammable properties are used, the static electricity can cause accidents such as explosions or fires
These light downloads are very annoying, but not dangerous to health, except in certain circumstances, as in the case of the persons carrying pacemaker. However, in the workplace, in activities that substances which are flammable or explosive properties are used, static electricity can cause an explosion or fire.
Other work accidents which may occur as a result of static electricity are related to involuntary reflex movements that workers can do to receive a shock. For example, the affected person may fall is doing a job in height, or suddenly drop a load, or make a mistake while handling machinery. In addition, static electricity makes that they accumulate particles of dust on surfaces with static load, and thus become dirty already finished products and from becoming clogged filters, strainers, piping, etc., resulting in economic damage to enterprises.
Prevention and protection against static electricity
The most effective is to eliminate the possibility that static electricity is generated but, where this is impossible, it is necessary to dissipate the excess load until it reaches a dangerous level that will produce a violent shock, which could lead to an explosion in the presence of flammable substances.Some measures that can be taken to limit the generation of static electricity or avoid its risks are:
- Install antistatic conductive soils.
- Use humidifiers (if the relative humidity of the air is greater than 50% the electrostatic charges are significantly reduced).
- Place equipment of ionization of the air in workplaces where necessary.
- Work clothes should be made with anti-static fabrics, like (preferably with leather soles) shoes, always avoiding the synthetic like nylon or lycra, or natural such as wool or silk).
- Furniture and office equipment must also be made with antistatic materials (chairs, wastebaskets, ladders, binders, door knobs...).
- Antistatic treatments applied to the surface of the parts of work equipment which are subject to friction (roller, conveyor belts, pulleys, filters...).
- To refuel gas, turn off the engine and the lights of the car, and not to use the mobile phone.
- There are antistatic products such as sprays to eliminate static cling from clothing, computers and television screens (which avoids that they attract the dust), floor cleaners, lotions, conductive metallic wristbands, and other articles of personal use, that you can use at home or at work.
- All electrical devices that are in contact with the pavement must be connected to a ground.
Article contributed for educational purposes