An operative has been getting electric shocks from her (metal framed) desk, which is the same style as all the others. Other people have also got shocks from her desk, but not from their own. Varying shoes has been tried by the operative but to no avail. Any ideas?

As far as I understand it the static shock is normally by the person receiving the shock holding a charge, this charge is then dissipated to earth via the “thing” they touch. You have already investigated such possibilities with the changes in footwear. So if we then allow the persons to hold the energy, then it must be that this desk offers a path of lower resistance to true earth than any other objects in the vicinity. This could be due to a better connection with the earthing system in the building fixed wiring installation. Is there any chance that the desk could be “earthed” better than any others. Does it have perhaps a part of its metallic structure in contact with a metallic accessory of the wiring system or an earthed class 1 appliance case? e.g. is there a metal cased pc on the desk, with a metallic anti-theft lock fitted through it? If so is that lock in contact with the metal frame of the desk? Or in better contact than any others? Do you have a sparky on site? No not from the static discharge!!! If you do have your own spark, ask him if he is up for a challenge to test the metal of the desks to see if one has a “better” earth than the others? Make it fun though or he’ll either think you’re crackers, or its H&S gone mad again! Next let us allow the converse that the desk is holding the charge which is earthing through the human body. Is there any office machinery on this desk which is not on others? I would presume a machine with physical movements / mechanical systems, printer, franking machine etc.? Could this be poorly earthed or “leaky” allowing a charge to generate on the desk by its movement / motion / mechanism? I’m NOT talking about a faulty electrical appliance here. Think rubbing a balloon on your hair, you have motion from the rubbing, and the dissimilar materials to initiate the transfer of surface electrons. Could this be the case, perhaps a plastic label printer? I suspect that the latter is unlikely as you have said that there are several persons experiencing the phenomenon. This would require them all to have similar characteristics? Paul

I know of another occasion when a woman's nylon clothing caused a spark when whe was on the toilet, and ignited methane in the pan, blew her off the toilet. Don't ask me for proof, it is factual, I remember reading it in the Fire magazine many years ago. Point is the employee here is at risk as she carries the static which is just waiting for a path to earth, if in a hazardous area - BANG!