Study on the Prevention of Electrostatic Accidents in Laboratories through Human Body Discharge Energy Analysis

This study measured the human body capacitance and charging potential in laboratories handling significant quantities of flammable substances, such as methanol. Based on these measurements, the calculated human body charging energy was compared with the Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) for various flammable materials as specified in KOSHA GUIDE E-188-2021. From October to December 2022, human body charging potentials of research personnel were measured over a three-month period. Analysis of human body charging energy, derived from capacitance measurements in various postures, revealed that the energy ranged from 0.19 to 0.27 [mJ]. This range was confirmed to be sufficient to act as an ignition source for fire and explosion in the presence of numerous flammable substances. Despite this evident risk, current laboratory safety standards are limited to basic requirements for static electricity elimination. Therefore, there is a clear need to supplement laboratory-specific static electricity management measures, referencing the Industrial Safety and Health Enforcement Regulations and KOSHA GUIDE.