Description :

Hazards of electrostatics 1 lightning electrostatic charges are built up due to friction between water molecules in the cloud and air molecules these accumulated charges ionize the air which then provides a conducting path for the charges to be discharged to the nearest or sharpest object on ground. Many items in todays workplace can store thousands of volts in electrostatic charges yet it only takes 25 electrostatic volts to irreparably damage an integrated circuit. In many industrial processes electrostatic charges are quite common they can cause breakdowns damage fires and explosions the crucial factor in evaluating the hazards of electrostatic charges is the probability that a potentially explosive atmosphere and a dangerously high charge will occur at the same time and place