Static charge on wheelchair user

[JackSpence]

I have been using a laptop (XP now Vista) & its touchpad. I have been overwelmed with irritating problems.
I am in a wheelchair on rubber tyres and, being insulated from the ground, can go for long periods without earthing. Could this cause problems ?
If this is a problem, is there any foolproof way of earthing short of having my finger stuck in the earth of a wall socket ?

 

[Dwarf]

Hi Jack,

Not that I am aware of. You can always fit an earthing strap to your wheelchair to eliminate any possibilities, though. I'm thinking of the type of strap that you can sometimes add to a car.

 

[tanuj_chadha]

You can try & wear a ESD strap, which is usually worn by hardware techs while working on the system so that components do not get damaged by static charge

 

[mkensinger]

I have been using a laptop (XP now Vista) & its touchpad. I have been overwelmed with irritating problems.
I am in a wheelchair on rubber tyres and, being insulated from the ground, can go for long periods without earthing. Could this cause problems ?
If this is a problem, is there any foolproof way of earthing short of having my finger stuck in the earth of a wall socket ?

Jack,

As Dwarf has suggested, a ground strap is your best bet. My daughter was wheel chair bound for some time recovering from an accident and I used this to eliminate static discharges caused by the rubber tires and no ground (we didn't lose anything to discharge, but she was constantly getting shocked when touching anything metal).

Just attach a length of braided strap (a small metal chain works well too…just keep it away from the wheels!) directly to the metal frame of the chair and let it "drag" on the ground. This will help to dissipate any charge and should greatly reduce any chance of damage...

My Best,



Michael