Q What causes static shocks? I seem to get them every time I touch anything. Why? It's very annoying and I'd like to stop it.
A What you wear, how you move and your environment all determine how shocking your life will be.
Electric shocks are created when an excess of positive or negative ions build up on surfaces and contact is made.
Dry air (low relative humidity), certain fabrics (primarily synthetics) and friction will increase static electric charges or shocks. Sometimes these shocks actually create sparks and become a hazard. Static electricity could even ignite a flammable liquid and is a real concern in industrial situations.
Static electricity charges have caused fires at gas pumps. Most incidents involved the driver starting the pump, getting back to the car, then getting back out of the car to remove the nozzle. A spark occurred when the driver reached for the nozzle. Dissipating the static charge (touching a metal part of the car) before reaching for the nozzle will eliminate the danger. It's safe for passengers to remain in the car during fueling, as long as the person fueling the car stays outside. If passengers need to get out of the car during refueling, they should avoid touching the gas pump nozzle.
To reduce the number of electric charges, you might:
• Increase indoor humidity.
• Wear fewer synthetics and experiment with shoes that have different types of soles.
