Static shock everything metal

[john2k]

I just recently took a lease out on a new office premises. Most of the fittings are aluminum from Window frames to door frames and handles, to ceiling having suspended ceiling rails. Problem is everything that is metal whenever I touch I get a static shock and it's not just me happens to everyone.

Can anyone tell me what could be wrong and how I can solve this issue?

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

Buy some leather-soled shoes and your problem will disappear.

(this is true)

 

[bernardgreen]

Are the floors carpetted ? If yes then treat them with anti-static fluid.

Vermason Statguard works very well to prevent static on carpets which is the major source of finger to metal shock. They also provide a good anti static advice service.

To learn whether it is carpets give them a light spray with a dilute solution of fabric softener like Comfort. It leaves a short lived anti static residue when it dries out.

 

[kai]

I sometimes receive static shocks, if I an wearing satin-lined garments against my skin in dry weather, and touch say, a stainless steel switch faceplate..

 

[stillp]

Those silk knickers are so troublesome Kai.

 

[kai]

Satin Lined Phone Pocket

• kai
• 2 Oct 2014
• 1

Now this is what I call a soft satin lining.

 

[stillp]

Oh, I was thinking of something more intimate.

 

[kai]

They don't make things like they used to, i.e. Wylex Standard Range Dual Screw connections, solid engineering. Same goes for the first generation MK din-rail system boards - they were really well built, with really thick plastic casings, not the thin plastic of modern ones.

MK_WYLEX_FUSEBOX_HYBRID

• kai
• 21 Feb 2016

Even the satin lined pocket in the ten year old jacket, was engineered out a single strip of satin fabric, without any seams, so that it could support the weight of a bulky Nokia 3210 mobile banging around inside it all day. Modern garnents have seams in the pocket linings, which tend to rip under the weight of an Iphone rubbing against them all day - a seam in satin fabric is pretty delicate by nature, when you got the weight of an Iphone on it, it will probably only last a couple of months before needing stitching up again, as the original stitching would have decayed!!

 

[john2k]

Buy some leather-soled shoes and your problem will disappear.

LOL. I can do that but can't ask everyoe visiting the office to do the same.

Are the floors carpetted ? If yes then treat them with anti-static fluid.

No it's fitted with laminate flooring. No carpet whatsoever.

Oh, I was thinking of something more intimate.

LOL

 

[kai]

Oh, I was thinking of something more intimate.

Yellow Satin Lined Ski Suit 1980

• kai
• 7 Mar 2016

ski suit

Putting on this Nylon 1980 model satin-lined ski suit, with nothing but a pair of boxer shorts on will give you a very good nights sleep, it is breathable, and the feeling of sleeping in soft satin makes a very nice thought!!!!!

 

[stillp]

Too much information Kai!

 

[ericmark]

I would say first point is how do you know it is static? All very well using non man made fibres if that would cure it, but so many getting the shock one must ask is it really static?

I remember my father-in-law telling me how in the hospital he was working at the operation theatre had any static floors, he being the clerk of works decided he would hire the equipment to test the floors as the tiles were really expensive and he did not want any come backs. The tester arrived then his headache really started when every floor failed. As he enquired further he found out not only very expensive tiles were required but also very expensive tile cement and it seems the contractor had used wrong cement so they all needed lifting and relaying.

So to make a room anti static is very expensive, clearly with the gases used in an operation theatre worth the money but not really an option for a standard office. However with a standard humidity in the main there is no problem, where the problem arises is where the rooms are very dry. I found with blown hot air central heating the room became very dry and required trays of water in the air intake to reduce static. The use of AC units is also a problem, they will remove moisture in the air and pump it out, one would hope it would not require an AC unit in the winter but I remember in one of the shop refits I did there was no heater other than the entrance hot air curtain. The lights warmed the shop up, and the AC was used all year round to reduce the shop temperature. Without some thing to replace the moisture pumped out the shop would suffer from static.

One would hope an office is designed rather than just thrown together so likely there is some device which should correct the relative humidity which has failed. If it were me first step would be take my weather station into work and measure the humidity. My house is very dry at the moment at 31% this is normal for winter. The easy cure is to install some potted plants. But clearly they will need watering.

 

[endecotp]

I once worked in an office where people often got static shocks from the aluminium frame of a particular whiteboard.

Eventually someone noticed that the edge of the whiteboard was in line with a socket at skirting level. One of the fixings had been screwed into the mains cable.

This is probably not your problem if you really are getting shocks from e.g. door handles. As suggested above, I'd start by investigating any air circulation systems (aircon, ventillation, hot air heating).

 

[kai]

Here is a close up of the skisuit pocket linings - both lined with delicate soft satin - sure must bring a lot of static shocks if the hands are in there a long time!

Satin_lined_skisuit_pockets

• kai
• 9 Mar 2016

satin

I am surprised that both the delicate pocket linings are still appreciably intact, in a garment that is around thirty years old, usually the pocket linings will have long since disintegrated from the effects of coins, hands being inserted, perspiration bacteria, sharp fingernails and keys etc. They sure don't make things like they used to make them!