Have you ever experienced the sudden shock after touching a metal doorknob? This jolt is the electrostatic discharge between objects. There are a lot of reasons for static electricity, such as dry and cold weather, humidity, clothing materials, or people’s physique and dry skin, all of which can generate static electricity.
The frame of most wheelchairs is made of aluminium metal. As a result of environmental conditions, the user or caregiver will inevitably build up static electricity when using it. The following are a few tips to prevent static electricity building up between the wheelchair and the user or caregiver:
1. Increase the humidity indoors. This makes it more difficult for static electricity to generate because there will be less friction. During the winter months when the weather is relatively dry, you can use a humidifier to increase the humidity.
2. Consider the material of the user’s clothes. Wearing cotton, silk, linen, and other natural fibers can help prevent the buildup of static electricity. Top tip: avoid rubber soles (choose leather shoes).
3. When touching a wheelchair, first touch with your palm or knuckles. There are fewer nerve endings on these parts so ff there is any static electricity, it will hurt less in these areas.
4. Try adding accessories that can help to prevent the build-up of static electricity on a wheelchair. The wheelchair can be equipped with “anti-static strips” to dissipate any static electricity buildup.
How to install the anti-static strap:
A final reminder; these small methods cannot 100% guarantee the removal of static electricity every time. The human body is always discharging electricity when touching objects, but it depends on the amount of electricity as to whether the human body can feel the electric shock.
We hope that these methods can help reduce the chance of feeling electric shocks and use wheelchairs more comfortably and confidently.
To better understand the principle of static electricity, you can watch to this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc2-363MIQs
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