All Apple products are tested to comply with standard EC 55101-2. This ensures that Apple products are tested to withstand static electricity levels up to 15kv without permanent damage.
The level that is practical would be between 2kv to 4kv if the static is "directly" discharged to the product or 4kv to 8kv if "air" discharged (that is like a spark from your finger just before you touch something).
After researching the World Wide Web for "Static Propensity" we found that most carpet manufacturers list a level for Static Propensity in their carpet specifications. For example a specification for Mannington Commercial Carpet list the following: Static Propensity 3.0 kilovolts (kv) or Less as Tested in Accordance with AATCC-134, tested at 70 degrees Farenheit and 20 percent Relative Humidity. It is important to remember that static electricity increases in lower humidity environments.
While Apple cannot make a recommendation as to what static propensity level to look for when purchasing carpet, we can say that based on the static electric testing that Apple does, and the numbers specified that when looking for average values for most carpeting, it seems that 3kv would be an acceptable level. ╩
This article was published in the Information Alley on 16 September 1996.
Article Change History:
16 Sep 1996 - Added Info Alley publication information.