Why do I keep getting electric shocks?

Question

Lately in the office whenever I press the button for the lift or touch a metal door handle I get zapped.
Can you explain what causes this and why it happens to me more than other people at work?

p.s I'm in Australia

Answer 1

arily666 is correct...the technical term for it is Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).

Whether you're in the Southern Hemisphere or the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon's the same...a small buildup of static electricity forms within the body as you walk across a floor, especially one that is carpeted, and is discharged when contact is made with a metallic object like a doorknob or even the button of an elevator (lift).


ESD is a science of itself and volumes have been writtin on the subject and the effect ESD has, for example, in the manufacture of Printed Circuit Boards, where a PCB subjected to enough of an ESD charge can actually destroy or shorten the field life of many of the sensitve components made from semiconductor material (IC's, Resistors, Dram's, etc.) that populate the board. Hence, the term is usually used in the electronics and other industries to describe momentary unwanted currents that may cause damage to electronic equipment.

If you ever get a chance to visit a PCB manufacturer or just about any electronics manufacturer, you'll notice that the assembly and test personnel wear special "ESD Wrist Straps" and "ESD Foot Straps" which dissipates the static charge inside the body (as much as 35,000 volts) into the floor which is coated with a special floor wax made for the purpose of dissipating the ESD so that the product being assembled is free from any ESD damage.

As far as the seasonal affect...
"ESD is higher when the air is dryer."....
so being it's wintertime in Australia you're probably experiencing more ESD than any other time of the year since warmer temperatures means the air is more moist and colder temps relates to the air being dryer.

Answer 2

Keep Getting Electric Shocks

Answer 3

Your shoes. The soles are particularly good at stirring up static electricity from the carpet. It is now winter in Australia, and the humidity is down; this encourages the effect. If you discharge yourself to a grounded object by using a key or a metal ruler, the current density through your fingers into the metal will be too small to be annoying.

Answer 4

You can buy a gizmo to put in your driveway that grounds your car. It's a flexible metal strip that sticks up and you drive over it. But then, you need to know if it's YOU that's charged or the car. As long as the charge is the same, you won't get shocked. The same applies to everything. It's most likely YOu that's building up a charge, since you are moving around. Try not wearing shoes in the house, then you should have the same charge as your surroundings.

Answer 5

static electricity ever heard of it or were you sleeping during that science lesson? ya know how if you rub your feet on the carpet with socks on and then you go touch something that is metal you get shocked. well that's what has happened. their is a static electricity buildup in your body and you just have to deal with it. sooner or latter it will go away. the same thing happened to me, every time i touch my sister's car it shocks me.

P.S. it doesnt matter if your in alstrailia or in Eoupe its still the same

Answer 6

you are building up a static charge maybe from the type of soles on your shoes rubbing on the flooring .given a dry environment this discharged to the objects you are touching . try changing your shoes .either that or you might be getting from your clothing rubbing on your chair ???