What does it mean to ground yourself electrically?
Grounding oneself electrically is a technique to make a backup route for current to flow to the ground if there is any wiring failure out there.
To protect against shock, grounding yourself will eliminate excess voltage from an object while you are dealing with electronics. Until unplugging the power supply, touching a grounded object, such as a wall or a wooden table, will ensure that you are electrically grounded.
How to ground yourself electrically
Following are some easy methods to electrically ground yourself.
Method No. 1: Touching Any Grounding Object such As Metal
Touching any grounding object such as a metal, a wall, a water pipe, or some wooden table that is directly in contact with the earth is the best way to reduce the risk of electric shock.
If you are working on your computer, touching the metal area of the computer’s power supply would greatly help you grounding yourself electrically. But remember to do it before unplugging the PC. By touching such items regularly, you can significantly reduce the risk of any shock and easily ground yourself electrically.
Method No. 2: Using anti-static wrist band
It is another excellent way to ground yourself electrically. You can easily buy such wrist bands in your nearby electric stores. They are cheap but provide an effective solution for grounding.
You can wear this wrist band and clip or connect the other end of the band to any metal object such a metal screw or unpainted metal object. It will significantly reduce the risk of shock and ground yourself effectively.
Method No. 3: Using a metal wire
If you are somehow unable to get an anti-static wrist band, you can take any metal wire in your store and use it. It goes like a wrist band. You can connect this wire to any metal object from your toe or also from your wrist. This is also an effective and cheap solution.
How to Ground Avoid Electric Shocks
Method No. 1: Clean Your Workspace
There is enough scientific proof that plastic bins, papers, a cellphone, and other plastic objects can generate a static charge and hence lead to some electric shock. Remove such items out of your workspace.
Method No. 2: No Carpet or Rugs
Having contact with the ground is crucial to avoid any shocks while Carpet and rugs can prevent you from grounding. You can apply an anti-static spray to your Carpet if you have no option other than working on that in your workspace. It would greatly help you reduce the static charge and risk of any shock.
Method No. 3: Increasing Humidity
Increasing humidity in your house and workplace is yet another effective method to avoid electric shocks. In winters, the air becomes much dryer and lead to severe electric shocks. In this case, using a humidifier is the best option out there. So grab one in the winter and stay safe.
Another thing that can cause trouble is the excess of humidity. If the air is more humid, you would need a dehumidifier so keep this in mind as well.
Method No. 4: No Pets in Workplace
Cats are a great source of generating static electric charges, and if they are near to workspace, it’s time to be alert. Never work on your PC or open it if there is a pet around. Try to clean the space also from any fur out there.
Method No. 5: Using Anti-static Mat
Using an anti-static mat might be the best investment you can make. This mat provides a static charge-free surface and helps to avoid any potential risks of electric shocks.
