Static electricity is a common hazard at virtually every HazMat incident. While some responders are aware of the basic fundamentals of static electricity, few manage it with the level of priority it deserves. If correct countermeasures are not enacted, this hidden hazard can have devastating consequences to responders. What is static electricity? Good question. Let's look at each word. Electricity is simply the flow of electrons, those little subatomic particle that carry a negative electric charge. Like four-year-olds at a birthday party, electrons are constantly in motion. Static (definition: still; unmoving) electricity is, literally, electricity that is trapped on the surface of a non-conductive body and unable to move.
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