An anti-static wrist strap is a key piece of safety gear that helps to prevent the buildup of static electricity near sensitive electronics or other projects where staticcharge could damage electronics or cause safety issues. … An anti-static wrist strap may also be called an electrostatic discharge (ESD) wrist strap.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden flow of electricity between two electrically charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short, or dielectric breakdown. A buildup of static electricity can be caused by tribocharging or by electrostatic induction.