Static
I don’t know what it is about the weather today, but I’ve been generating massive amounts of static electricity in the office. The combination of dry, cold air, an acrylic fleece and a synthetic carpet must be nearly optimal conditions for generating static, because every time I touch anything in the office (light switch, sockets, poor shocked PowerBook), sparks crackle from my fingers like I’m some kind of human Van der Graaff generator.
It’s got to the point where I’m aversively conditioned towards metal objects. Every time I look at the light switch I feel a little knot of fear. I actually contemplated not switching the lights off when I left the office this evening, because it hurts. I can see that I’m going to have to wear a very long version of one of those grounding straps around my wrist, with the other end attached to the radiator.
1
Touching the object with a metal key held in my hand has worked to avoid static shocks; perhaps you could wear a metallic ring and touch with the ring first.
cheerio----- Ah, yes, for your international audience it might be worth pointing out that wall to wall synthetic carpet (usually beige) is de rigeur for UK working environments. Malden Mills missed the implications of that when they invented Polartec. Presumably half your colleagues look like blow-dried wookies (?)
by Ian @ 15/02/2005 8:02 am • Permalink •
2
The desk in my office is metal, and I get an electric shock almost every time I sit down and touch it. I'm kind of getting used to it now, in a masochistic way.
by Caitlin @ 15/02/2005 12:02 pm • Permalink •
3
I find myself touching every metal object that I can find as I walk through the office. That way no single shock is overwhelming. Though, I suspect I look like a deranged idiot.
by Barb @ 15/02/2005 4:02 pm • Permalink •
4
<!-- spamk : Used HTTP_VIA header. --> <!-- spamk : Execution took: 0.09056 seconds --> <!-- spamk : KARMA: -1 --> <!-- spamk : Treatment: purgatory --> Yeah, after having this kind of static nightmare for some time i developed an animal fear to touching metal objects with bare hands....
by berkus @ 15/02/2005 7:03 pm • Permalink •
5
We (my team) routinely go electric fishing - 240 volts through a river to stun the fish so we can do population studies. They are all released safely, if not a little disgruntled later. Anyhow, accidentally dipping your fingers in the water whilst fishing smarts a bit, and i don't notice static shocks anymore....
by Birchscrub @ 15/02/2005 9:03 pm • Permalink •
6
<!-- spamk : Used HTTP_VIA header. --> <!-- spamk : Execution took: -0.199745 seconds --> <!-- spamk : KARMA: -1 --> <!-- spamk : Treatment: purgatory --> I tend to get shocked when I am listening to music and moving around in my chair at work. Getting shocked on the ear when wearing ear buds headphones is not fun. And probably not good for the iPod either.
by The Plaid Cow @ 15/02/2005 9:03 pm • Permalink •
7
Man, this problem is more widespread than I thought!
sandy: Good tip. I'll touch everything with my metal pen first.
Ian: Actually, mine is dark blue (we biologists are a muddy lot
). 'blow dried wookies' -- LOL. I look like that all the time 
Caitlin: Have you developed a slight twitch?
Birchscrub: Eeek!
by bsag @ 15/02/2005 10:02 pm • Permalink •
8
I do like the new blogsuit.
But then, I liked the old one, too.
by Mr.D. @ 16/02/2005 1:03 pm • Permalink •
9
Oooops, Forgot to include my address lol - my email is.. j0n2003@hotmail.com
Cheers
by John @ 08/03/2005 3:03 pm • Permalink •
10
I cant beleive other people get this!! I thought I was AbNormall! LOL. However i have a new thing to introduce that I havnt read about here... Not only when i touch my sink, light switches, radiators etc. but i actually "shocked" my brother last night.. 3 times !!! We were doing a DIY job, and i acidently touched his elbow and he said "oi, whatyou doing?" .. I thought... oh my god! lol - So i told him i kept getting shocks from my house... and he looked at me like I was an alien! anyway .. Can this be solved? I dont get these shocks from my sister/brother 's house... just my own? Whats going on? lol! Heeeeeelllppp! please give me an email if you know how to solve this & I (& My Family - LOL) would be extremely gratefull!! Cheers
by John @ 08/03/2005 3:03 pm • Permalink •
11
Howdy, folks -- got some good and some bad news for you: first the good -- you're not abnormal for experiencing shocks from static electricity; now the bad -- shocks are a world-wide phenomenon and getting worse. Just Google "static electricity" and see what I mean. It has very little to do with "dry" or metallic or artificial working/living interior environments; the problem is also exterior (people are getting shocked outdoors in nature, too). The atmosphere is getting exponentially more electrically charged. There are many theories as to why, but I'm not sure this is the forum for discussing them. Anyone who's interested in knowing more can contact me at general_inquiries@yahoo.com. On a more practical note, I found that putting a bit of electrician's tape (the shiny black stuff) over the metal screw(s) on the light switch stopped the shocks, at least from that particular medium.
by Charlotte @ 27/03/2005 2:04 am • Permalink •
12
I'm from Manila, Philippines and I do suffer from mild to moderate static shocks in the office every now and then. Sparks literally fly out from my finger tips whenever I get in contact with some of my office mates and office furniture. Yes, it does hurt when I get the jolt. That's why I'm extra careful in the office. I'm really curious why such things happen and reading the entries here had made me understand the phenomenon. Our fully airconditioned office does not have wall to wall carpeting but our cubicles are lined with some fabric I'm not sure what kind. I can't also say it is the weather (it's tropical weather we have here all year) since this problem does not happen at home. Apart from the shocks, I hope this occurence does not have any adverse bodily effects!
by Stella Mari Vosotros @ 20/04/2005 4:04 am • Permalink •
13
Hi I was searching in google as i was experiencing the same. Got a lot of suggestions here , i try them. One thinig i suggest is that may be u can shake ur hands vigourously before u touch anything as it may drop off some changed built ion ur body. Hope that works
by Pradip @ 17/05/2005 5:05 am • Permalink •
14
I've been experiencing terrible shocks at work. I even shocked my heinie against the file cabinet. I've brushed by people and shocked them. It's gotten to the point where my co-workers are afraid to come near me. I don't have this problem at home or anywhere else, just here at work. Does anyone have any idea why this could be happening? No one else seems to suffer from this in the office besides me.
by Wendy Nicholson @ 25/08/2005 12:09 pm • Permalink •
15
I get shocked by my headphones at work a lot too, as was mentioned before (which really smarts - I wonder if it's bad for my ears...). Where I work is completely carpeted, and it seems like certain shoes I wear are more susceptible to generating a charge with the carpet than others. My sandals (yes, I have the luxury of wearing sandals to work) don't seem to cause much problem, but a pair of Skechers I have seem to be really bad. You wouldn't think a rubber-soled shoe would conduct the elecricity very well. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
by Jonathan @ 30/09/2005 8:09 pm • Permalink •
16
OK I feel entirely better now that i know its not just me, it doesnt matter what im doing i always shock the daylight out of myself. I work in a gigantic metal infested filing room and it doesnt matter what day it is i at least get shocked an averge of 20 times a day. its got so bad as to i saw sparks fly one time. i though it was my shoes or me dragging my feet but i guess its not. wow this really helped.Good luck everybody lol. -Scott
by scott @ 11/10/2005 4:11 pm • Permalink •
17
Now I feel normal. Usually around the office I am the only one who gets static shock- It is very weird!!!, we work in cubicles and the hall between them is not to wide, so although I am "petite" If I have to get out of my cubicle and one part of my body touches the metal ouch. Please tell me what should I do, Yesterday morning two of my co-workers heard when I put my finger on the metal part o f the cubicle- they heard the swoosh. Also yesterday add this to my shock therapy, my upper part of the body touch the metal by mistake,. HELPPP Wanda Liz
by Wanda Liz @ 22/10/2005 4:10 pm • Permalink •
18
i heard that having this "problem" with static can be dangerous when you pump gas....does anybody knows if is true?
by adriana @ 24/10/2005 5:11 pm • Permalink •
19
I bought a new wireless Logitech Cordless Click! computer mouse 2 days ago and yesterday morning, sitting in front of my computer, using the mouse, all of a sudden I felt pain in my chest and on my upper stomach area. It really hurt. It was like something had pinched me with an extremely sharp point. My Mom says maybe I got electrocuted and it went in my chest and out my stomach area.
It welted up so I put ice on it which helped my stomach area but not my chest. It has welted up even more and itches like crazy. Oh and there is a tiny hole in each spot also.
Anyone ever heard of this? If so, what can I do to make it feel better?
More information: I live in a 37' 5th wheel in an RV park. I have an APC surge protector between my computer and the wall outlet.
You can message me here: QMTP: http://gschloff.quikonnex.com
by Glenda @ 25/11/2005 8:12 pm • Permalink •
20
I bought a new wireless Logitech Cordless Click! computer mouse 2 days ago and yesterday morning, sitting in front of my computer, using the mouse, all of a sudden I felt pain in my chest and on my upper stomach area. It really hurt. It was like something had pinched me with an extremely sharp point. My Mom says maybe I got electrocuted and it went in my chest and out my stomach area.
It welted up so I put ice on it which helped my stomach area but not my chest. It has welted up even more and itches like crazy. Oh and there is a tiny hole in each spot also.
Anyone ever heard of this? If so, what can I do to make it feel better?
More information: I live in a 37' 5th wheel in an RV park. I have an APC surge protector between my computer and the wall outlet.
by Glenda @ 25/11/2005 8:12 pm • Permalink •
21
can anyone help I work in a department store and we use large metal cages to transport stock I get very bad static shocks and am quite afraid to touch them the worst shock is that we have the old fashioned lifts where u pull the doors on and when u press the button the shock is really bad I have thought about buying anti static gloves but work won't let me wear them can anyone help?
by rebecca @ 03/12/2005 10:12 pm • Permalink •
22
ahhh this is funny to see all of you people going on the same as I am.... the thing is I get a shock everytime:
I check something in the other laptop (I have 2) I touch the door handle to go to the kitchen (quite a few times a day!!!!) I touch the heater sometimes to warm up my hands when I touch some random thing (surprise factor) like a remote control (plastic ????) when I come back from some other room and use the mouse instead of the trackpad....
insane... as you see I experience like 30+ mild shocks a day.... id like to do something about it ..... :D what can I do??? im thinking about evrything but nothing makes sense...
by Dan @ 17/01/2006 4:02 pm • Permalink •
23
ahh I forgot... the floors are PVC and wooden in some parts.... Apple laptops.... my chair is a cheap BossChair totally Acrylic... it might be that yeah ????
by Dan @ 17/01/2006 4:02 pm • Permalink •
24
Fabric conditioner helps a lot, unfortunately I can't use it because of formaldehyde etc. in it.
by Denise @ 05/03/2006 3:03 pm • Permalink •
25
o i forgot the web site! here it is http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A1E6FY/103-3788641-2795800?v=glance&n=172282
by Steve @ 13/03/2006 10:03 pm • Permalink •
Page 1 of 2 pages 1 2 >