Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 1997, 166 pages
This book fills a real need for industrial practitioners by providing insight to the nature of static electricity and specific examples of problems that can arise in the workplace. Although aimed at the non-specialist the book contains much new information never previously published which will be of interest to the specialist as well. The authors bring combined experience of over 60 years which they have devoted to the subject and have managed to summarize here.
The material is divided into three main sections. Chapters 1–3 include basic background information dealing with the dangers of fire and explosion, the origins of static electricity and the fundamentals of gas discharges. Chapter 4 summarizes the principles of safety and acts as a bridge between the fundamentals and the case histories which follow in Chapters 5–
10. This latter section is the core of the book and consists of over 55 different descriptions of real cases. The authors hold the reader’s interest in what could otherwise be a dry listing of facts by presenting the material much in the manner of a mystery story. They describe the individual cases by presenting different clues, some of whichare seemingly insignificant, systematically evaluating them and then by leading the reader through appropriate deductions finally conclude the cause of the problem. In this way the reputed mysterious nature of electrostatics is made clear. The examples
cover a broad range of industries and involve hazards associated with solids, liquids and powders. They range from the common to the esoteric. In many the truth seems stranger than fiction and
yet all cases cited are based upon fact and are described exactly as they happened.
This book appears at a particularly appropriate time. Mode materials used in industry tend to have properties which are leading to more rather than fewer problems due to static electricity. By sharing their experience through presenting such a broad cross-section of examples the authors provide an invaluable aid for practitioners in industry to prevent many future accidents.
This book fills a real need for industrial practitioners by providing insight to the nature of static electricity and specific examples of problems that can arise in the workplace. Although aimed at the non-specialist the book contains much new information never previously published which will be of interest to the specialist as well. The authors bring combined experience of over 60 years which they have devoted to the subject and have managed to summarize here.
The material is divided into three main sections. Chapters 1–3 include basic background information dealing with the dangers of fire and explosion, the origins of static electricity and the fundamentals of gas discharges. Chapter 4 summarizes the principles of safety and acts as a bridge between the fundamentals and the case histories which follow in Chapters 5–
10. This latter section is the core of the book and consists of over 55 different descriptions of real cases. The authors hold the reader’s interest in what could otherwise be a dry listing of facts by presenting the material much in the manner of a mystery story. They describe the individual cases by presenting different clues, some of whichare seemingly insignificant, systematically evaluating them and then by leading the reader through appropriate deductions finally conclude the cause of the problem. In this way the reputed mysterious nature of electrostatics is made clear. The examples
cover a broad range of industries and involve hazards associated with solids, liquids and powders. They range from the common to the esoteric. In many the truth seems stranger than fiction and
yet all cases cited are based upon fact and are described exactly as they happened.
This book appears at a particularly appropriate time. Mode materials used in industry tend to have properties which are leading to more rather than fewer problems due to static electricity. By sharing their experience through presenting such a broad cross-section of examples the authors provide an invaluable aid for practitioners in industry to prevent many future accidents.