Posted By Michael White One of the care homes I look after has a static electricty problem. Despite consulting many so called experts we still have not been able to sort out the problem. The floor covering is carpet on a wooden floor. Staff, residents and visitors are all receiving static shocks when touching one another, when touching security door key pads and lift call buttons. Anti-static mats have been placed at security doors and in front of lift doors but people are still receiving shocks. My latest suggestion is to have humidifiers installed as the air is quite dry and hot. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Posted By Stephen D. Clarke Hi, We have had static problems and in summary there are chemical treatments that reduce static. Advise could be sought from a flooring company, probably expensive though and not long lasting. If its a PC issue newer computer screens are supposedly much less of a problem than earlier models. It may be as simple as rearranging your workplace it is common that a large number of electrical items in a relatively small area can cause items to charge due to the magnetic effect of electricity. One common cause of static is the friction between two surfaces - so as you walk across the carpet there is a transfer of electric charge between you and the carpet. The charge that you have acquired either leaks away unnoticed, or is discharged suddenly when your fingers come close to a conducting surface. Placing your hand on the wall before touching the door handles, taps, or anything else that could cause a spark could be tried as an immediate solution. Dry air makes matters worse for static humidifier sometimes work or open a window. Buy some mats that allow the personal charge to be dissipated and place them in front of the most used equipment. Spaying carpets every 6 months with a solution of fabric conditioner helped us and is a cheap and effective answer.

Posted By max Any old nurse will tell you that if you kick hospital beds with your sole of your shoe before you make them, it reduces static. We used to have great light shows making the beds in the dark on nightshift. Those were the days...

Posted By Paul Durkin Hi Michael, The best/greenest method of raising the humidity,particularly on cold frosty(low humidity) days is to use broad leaf plants,plenty of them.Avoid other types of humidifiers:(Bugs/fever etc)Search the web for the best types of plants. Regards,Paul

Posted By Adrian Watson Dear Michael, Have you a synthetic carpet? If you have a synthetic carpet, wooden floor and dry air you will have a static electrical problem! As you walk across the carpet you will acquire a charge, especially in dry air, and if you also have a wooden floor the charge cannot dissipate. When you contact an earthed metal surface the charge will flow across giving you an electric shock. The solutions are to increase the RH of the air and/or treat the carpet or replace it with a natural material such as wool. Regards Adrian Watson

Posted By Paul Bellis must spell check before I post! you know whatI mean for the long winded answer Static electricity is an imbalance of electric charge: a lack or overabundance of electrons on the surface of the material. This typically occurs by "tribocharging"--when two materials are brought into contact then separated, electrons are exchanged by the materials, leaving one with a positive charge and the other with a negative charge. Friction between the two materials can enhance this charge-separation process. Under normal atmospheric conditions, fibres have a relatively high moisture content, which makes them slightly conductive. This prevents the charge separation from occurring by allowing static electricity to be conducted away. However, synthetic materials have a high surface electrical resistance--particularly when humidity is low--and this prevents the charge dissipating. A layer of fabric conditioner simply reduces the electrical resistance of the surface of fabrics. wish i got paid for answers Paul