The result is that a person who touches an energized point will receive a shock that is uncomfortable, but not dangerous. Hot bars produce more ionization, so they can eliminate static faster than shockless bars in difficult applications. They are usually used in applications where they can be mounted in a way that prevents accidental contact by people. The emitter points of shockless static eliminators receive high voltage indirectly. The flow of energy from the power supply to the emitters is interrupted by a resistor or capacitor.
Someone touching the ionizing points feels only a minor tingling sensation.
Physical contact between the static eliminator and the target material is not necessary. The electric field created by the static charge is focused on sharp points. If the charge on the material is high enough, the energy concentrated on the points will induce ionization. The static charge must exceed several thousand volts for ionization to be created using a passive static eliminator. Because there is no power supply, the ionizing effect is uncontrolled.