The combination of cheap carpets, and the clothing you wear is the cause.
Years ago we did extensive work on the subject of static charge build up and why some of our technicians were more prone to experiencing problems than others. We ended up equipping critical labs with special anti static floor coverings and specifying clothing to be worn by those working in those environments, plus wrist bands for certain tasks.
Leather soled shoes on cheap carpets can for some be a bad combination. Nylon/silk underwear is a big problem. (The underwear experiments we did were real fun!
) Rubber soled shoes, tackies, slippers with plestik soles, (you will be surprised at the strange combinations we discovered), etc.
Even certain hairdos and hair styles are a big problem (the Afro style is one of the worst of all the hair styles).
The only way to protect equipment is to ensure all the earthing is correct and may even need to be changed in some circumstances as pointed out by sajunky.
Another thing to watch for the humidity in your work environment. The drier the air, the worse the problem becomes. A humidifier can help BUT watch the humidity levels in places where there is lots of electronic equipment around.
And then check your walking style. If you tend to drag your feet when walking around or just moving your feet over the cheap carpet can be enough to generate higher than normal charge levels. A carpet protector mat under your chair could also help.
On the subject of office chairs. Check out what the wheels are made of. If nylon, the continual back and forth movement of the chair could again be an issue.
Here is just one of hundreds of websites dealing with the subject.
