Electrostatic safety according to EN 1149-1

Static electricity is most commonly generated by the contact and separation of materials in a process known as triboelectric charging. When you walk across a carpeted floor, the interaction between the carpet and your shoes causes the carpet to lose electrons, making it positively charged, and your shoes to gain electrons, making them negatively charged. You feel a shock as the static electricity from your body is discharged in an ESD event through a metal doorknob acting as a conductor.

The amount of electrical charge generated by triboelectric charging depends on many factors, including the contact area, the properties of the materials, how quickly the materials separate and the relative humidity. In addition to triboelectric charging, other less common sources of static electricity include induction, ion bombardment and contact with another charged object.

Poor electrostatic properties of textile materials not only result in an uncomfortable wearing experience, but can also pose serious health and safety risks, requiring industrial workers in hazardous environments to wear personal protective clothing with effective anti-static properties.