Spray Without A Shock: The Safety Benefits Of Anti-Static Castors

Giving yourself or someone you know a mild static shock after taking off a jumper is frustrating at worst, often amusing. However, in some storage, logistics, and manufacturing environments, electro-static discharge (ESD) is no laughing matter. In the proximity of sensitive electronic components, volatile chemicals, spray painting equipment, and flammable materials, ESD poses a danger to products and a potential safety risk to employees.

Damage To Components

Even a small electrostatic discharge, imperceptible to the human nervous system, can often destroy or degrade microchips, circuit boards, and valuable sensors. This damage may not be immediately apparent, but can increase the risk of product failure later in the supply chain or during use.

Safety Hazards

Even more dangerous is the risk that an ESD can ignite flammable gases, paints, dust, or vapours, leading to a fire or explosion. This is a real danger in many chemical plants and grain silos, in which static electric buildup on the wheels of mobile equipment and the boots of employees can create an ignition source.

For these reasons, several sectors have strict electrostatic discharge control standards, including the BS EN 61340-4 series (Testing Methods for ESD Control) and the EU ATEX directive (Directive 2014/34/EU), which is widely adopted by UK businesses.

Static Electricity In Paint Spraying

Static electricity is considered dangerous in paint spraying facilities, where a lot of the paints and solvents used are highly flammable. However, static electricity also plays a strong role in successful paint applications. For example, if the object being painted is not adequately grounded, the electrostatic attraction needed for the paint to adhere won’t work correctly, leading to an uneven coat or poor-quality finish.

There are other dangers of static electricity in paint spraying, such as an accumulated static charge on an ungrounded object creating a sudden electric discharge/spark. This can give employees minor shocks if they come into contact with a charged surface, and can also damage the electronic components in your spray gun and other surrounding equipment.

The Solution: Anti-Static Castor Wheels

The solution to all these risks is to ensure that all static-generating equipment is thoroughly grounded before use, in order to avoid the buildup of a charge. For stationary objects (e.g. before painting) make sure you use grounding straps, clamps, and conductive materials to maintain a safe electrical connection with the floor.

For rolling stock, trolleys, and platforms, antistatic castors can be used to avoid an unplanned and potentially dangerous ESD. The wheels of anti-static castors are constructed from semiconductive or conductive materials (e.g. polyurethane, rubber, or a thermoplastic infused with carbon). This allows the electric charge to dissipate through the wheel instead of building up on its surface. Whenever the wheel is in contact with a conductive floor surface, the static charge is harmlessly discharged into back the ground.

Increased Efficency

Anti-static castor wheels can improve the efficiency of paint spraying and other operations by reducing the risk and downtime caused by static-related issues. The same principle applies when nylon or plastic castors used on carpeted surfaces can generate large amounts of static electricity which can cause shocks to the user when they come into contact with everyday metal surfaces such as door handles. This can become a major annoyance in the hospitality and airport sectors where doors are contsantly opened.

Find Out More

To find out more about our range of anti-static castors, please download a copy of our free Rolltek Catalogue.

Image Source: Canva