Preventing Electric Shocks From Static Electricity

Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2012/01/13 - Updated: 2025/05/06
Publication Type: Informative
Category Topic: Blogs / Writings / Stories - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: This information provides a practical overview of how to prevent static electricity shocks in everyday situations, including at home, in vehicles, and for wheelchair users. It explains that electrostatic discharge (ESD) occurs when accumulated static charges are suddenly released, often due to dry air and insulating materials like synthetic fabrics or rubber soles. The article offers actionable tips such as using hand lotion to increase skin conductivity, wearing leather-soled shoes, maintaining indoor humidity above 30%, and employing anti-static devices like grounding straps. For wheelchair users, it suggests grounding solutions like attaching a small chain to the wheelchair frame to dissipate static buildup. The guidance is particularly useful for individuals with disabilities or seniors, as unexpected shocks can pose safety risks. Authored by Ian C. Langtree, a writer and editor with expertise in disability-related topics, the information is both authoritative and accessible, making it a valuable resource for those seeking to minimize the discomfort and potential hazards of static electricity - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

Did you know a shock from static electricity (technically known as electrostatic discharge, or ESD) is not a true electric shock but rather the pain from a hot spark jumping to or from your finger or other parts of your body? Static electricity is a stationary electric charge that is built up on a material. A common example of static electricity is the electrical shock that we can get when we touch a metallic article. Static electricity is formed when we accumulate extra electrons (negatively-charged particles) and they are discharged to an object or person.

Main Content

Shuffling your feet across a carpet is a surefire way to generate a painful shock. If the materials can conduct electricity away then the static charges will dissipate, however, if the charges are separated faster than the material can dissipate them, the amount of electrostatic charge builds up.

Static charge build-up is enhanced when the surrounding air is dry, especially when the weather is both cold and dry. When the humidity level is low, static charge will build up, no matter how hard you try to avoid it. Static electricity accumulates because an insulator prevents the accumulated electrons from flowing. That insulator can be your hard soled shoes or excessively dry hands. Some people are more sensitive to these shocks than others. Shocks are usually only felt if your body is charged to over about 4000 Volts, and you touch something conductive like metal objects, water, or other people.

Ways to Prevent Getting Shocked from Static Electricity Discharges:

• Hand cream can increase the conductivity of your skin, preventing a static buildup.
• Touch a non-conducting surface first before touching a door handle, like the wall beside the door.
• For women wearing clothing with silk linings, or pantyhose, try rubbing a light layer of hand lotion onto your legs before you get dressed.
• If you are getting shocked in bed, try using pajamas or sheets made of different materials. Cotton does not develop as much static electricity as some artificial fibers do.
• People working in areas where ESD can damage sensitive equipment, such as computers and components, often use products designed for static control or elimination, such as grounded wrist straps.
• If the problem is in your house, raising the humidity level tends to help a lot. A home humidifier will also help to decrease static electricity discharges in the house - try and keep the air humidity at or above 30% - though 40% or 50% would be even better.
• A conductive layer of soapy detergent (like from a "bounce" fabric softener pad) sprayed or rubbed across a carpet can prevent the buildup of static from the carpet in your home. Wooden flooring and cotton rugs are the best floor covering for eliminating or reducing shocks.
• Avoid wearing clothes that would rub two different fabrics like cotton or cotton blends together, as two cotton fabrics have different electron charges and when rubbed together they cause static electricity. Synthetic materials such as polyester clothes are the major culprits.
• Supermarket trolleys are notorious for "generating" static electricity due to their insulated wheels. Try carrying a coin, house or car key, with you and touch it to something metal, such as shelves, to discharge any accumulated static electricity before reaching for those cans of food.
• Anti-static straps can be worn around the shoes, which allows static electricity on your body to flow past your insulating hard soled shoes to the floor surface. Wearing leather-soled shoes also helps prevent a build-up of static charge in your body. Other body grounding devices available include; anti-static wrist straps, grounding heel straps and shoes, and conductive feet grounders.
• When you get out of a vehicle, place your hand on the metal part of the door, hold it right above the window on the metal casing while sliding from the car seat. Do not let the door go until your foot touches the ground. You can also purchase an inexpensive metal impregnated rubber strap that attaches to your car and brushes the ground, thereby eliminating the harmful effects of static electricity build-up while you drive your car.

Wheelchairs and Static Electricity Buildup:

As mentioned above, static electricity is generated when objects of dissimilar substances move relative to each other. If one of the objects is non-conductive, such as the rubber wheels on your wheelchair, an electric charge can accumulate and produce sparks. To prevent the generation of the static charges or to drain off charges generated on an object, a conductive path must be insured. While, (to our knowledge), there are no grounding devices designed specifically for wheelchairs, it should not be a major problem to use a conductive device to achieve grounding. It is imperative, however, that all elements of the wheelchair system be grounded.

You might try using a key or metal rod to touch something else that is metal before you touch it with your hand, or before you touch someone else. Touching the rod to a metal object (not your wheelchair) should drain off the excess charges, allowing you to avoid a shock. It may be inconvenient, but it is one solution. Another solution is to use a small chain fastened to the wheelchair or powerchair frame, allowing the other end to brush the ground or floor. For wheelchair users who are constantly getting "zapped" see our article titled Wheelchairs, Static Electricity and Electric Shocks.

By taking the proper steps, you can reduce or prevent shocks from a buildup of static electric charges. There is little risk attached to electrostatic discharges, and in most cases they are just a nuisance, the biggest risk is that a sudden unexpected shock could cause you to have an accidental injury. For example, you might pull your arm back suddenly and hit it against something - or someone.

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Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.