The risk of fire or explosion due to static charges on textile clothing
Journal of Electrostatics, 4 (1):
67--84 (December 1977)DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0304-3886(77)90109-7
Abstract
From an examination of the charging behaviour of clothing fabrics
worn by an operator insulated from earth, it has been shown that
the stored charge energy induced on the body can be far higher than
the minimum ignition energies of various flammable gas-and vapour-air
mixtures. This applies to a wide range of clothing materials, including
cotton. Attempts at igniting stoichiometric mixtures of coal gas
and air and natural gas and air, by spark discharges from the body,
indicate that the energy on the body, necessary for an ignition,
is between one and two orders of magnitude higher than the minimum
ignition energy of the gas concerned. To avoid dangerous levels of
charge on the clothing of persons working in the presence of petrol-vapour--air
mixtures with a minimum ignition energy of 0.2 mJ or higher, the
resistivity of the surface material worn outermost should be less
than $3 10^11 øhm/square$.