Tag Archives: heel grounders

04 Aug

Managing Static and ESD in Call Centers

Managing Static and ESD in Call Centers

Thanks to movies and TV, no matter how old you are, you’ve probably seen the old switchboards – whether it’s on Agent Carter or reruns of the Andy Griffith Show – and computers  that barely fit inside a room – like in The Imitation Game or the TV show Manhattan.

Nowadays, of course, we carry the switchboard and the computer in a handy-dandy pocket device.

Likewise with emergency services. When we call 9-11, we expect a prompt response, and the person on the other end of the line assures us that police, fire, or ambulance are already in route as they continue to gather our information.

Computers help planes land, monitor traffic on the freeways, and even park your car for you.

But for all the advances in technology, there have been setbacks as well.

In the old days, phone and computer systems were built “solid-state.” Everything was confined within one unit and was protected from outside forces. Internally, they were defended from ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) by microcircuit gate protectors.

Unfortunately, these gate protectors, while highly effective, tended to slow down the machines they were protecting – kind of like how some companies’ virus protection forces their machines to crawl.

As technology progressed, emergency services, military bases, and flight control centers started abandoning these more stringent preventative measures, in favor of speed.

The end result being, while these computers and call centers are protected in buildings made to withstand hurricanes, earthquakes and power outages, they can be disabled or even rendered completely useless by the tiniest static shock.

Which is why the proper ESD protection and protocols are so important in these mission critical locations.

Another factor to consider is that these facilities are typically open 24-hours a day and have hundreds of people pass through them on a regular basis. Some of them are trained and properly equipped with ESD shoes, heel grounders and even personal wrist straps, but certainly not all of them.

And when there’s a crisis and everyone needs to scramble to get the problem solved, the first thing to go is proper ESD procedures.

The answer is to make these facilities as static proof (or charge proof) as possible.

Like your skin (the largest organ in the human body), flooring is the largest and most vulnerable area for ESD buildup and discharge, if it’s not handled properly.

There are many options for ESD flooring, as we’ve discussed in prior posts, but in this instance, there are really only one option: carbon-fiber laced carpet.

The first thing you should know is that not all ESD carpet is created equal. Some companies promote and sell an ESD carpeting that is treated with a chemical to reduce static that disintegrates over time and must be reapplied.

Avoid these – you don’t want your static protection to be subject to a random timetable. Again, these facilities are always open. You’ll want to invest in a carpet whose static-prevention comes from the permanent physical composition of the materials.

For the same reason, you’ll want to invest in an ESD carpeting that is certified by ANSI/ESDA standards and reduces static regardless of the humidity levels or footwear worn by the personnel.

As an added bonus look for ESD carpet that is low maintenance, crush resistant, able to handle heavy foot traffic and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Contact us today for more information or to talk about your ESD flooring options.  We would love to be your full service, seamless ESD solution provider.

07 Jan

Why Do You Need ESD Shoes?

Why Do You Need ESD Shoes?

You’ve heard teachers say, “Any question is a good question, so ask away!”

So, here’s a question…“Why Do I Need ESD Shoes?” Before we answer that, let’s briefly review electrostatic discharge first.

Electrostatic Discharge or ESD: A Quick Review

Simply defined, static electricity is an electrical charge caused by an imbalance of electrons on the surface of a material.  This imbalance produces an electrical field that can be measured and that can influence other objects at a distance. Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is the transfer of charges between bodies at different electrical potentials.

You are most likely aware of ESD at two extremes:  the annoyance of that shock from striding across a carpet or witnessing the destructive nature of a lightning strike.

However, between these two extremes are electrostatic discharges found in workplace environments that can actually be costly or dangerous. Personnel shock injuries can range from a mild annoyance to a temporary loss of sight or hearing.

This same static discharge can ignite flammable mixtures and damage electronic components. Static electricity can also attract contaminants in clean environments or cause products to stick together.  Sometimes called the “invisible enemy”, static electricity or ESD can wreak havoc in many work environments if not properly managed.

Why You Need ESD Shoes…

While there are physical and mechanical causes for ESD in manufacturing, technological or office environments, personnel are considered a primary cause of electrostatic discharge. In other words, personnel themselves charge up their own bodies! The clothing and shoes they wear generate electrostatic charges when they scoot in and out of their chairs, or as they shuffle across the floors. It can even be generated in unintentional movement as shirt fabric rubs up against the skin. (Talk about being charged up and ready to go!)

Combined with ESD flooring, you can prevent damaging buildup of static discharge with ESD shoes. Static dissipative footwear is designed to reduce the accumulation of excess static electricity by conducting the body charge to the ground, while maintaining a high enough level of electrical resistance.

Suggested industries that would benefit from ESD flooring and footwear include laboratories, clean rooms, hospitals, utility plants, high-tech manufacturing, car manufacturing and plastics, just to name a few.

What We Offer…

To offset potential damages from ESD, Ground Zero offers a variety of protective footwear:

  • Sporty:  We offer a variety of high-quality conductive, static dissipative & regular athletic oxfords and sneakers.  Models include steel toe and comfortable padding.
  • Casual: These casual shoes include conductive or static dissipative models for business casual or dressy environments. They feature steel toe design as well as comfortable padding.
  • Unisex: We also have formal or sporty styles for both men & women in slip-ons, clean room shoes or boat shoes.
  • Boots & Hikers: If you’re looking for work boots with weatherproof qualities, we have those, too!

Bottom Line: ESD Shoes will help the flow of electrons built up on the body choose a path to the ground rather than a destructive and potentially costly path toward your electronics or work environment!

Contact us today for more information;  we would love to be your full service, seamless ESD solution provider.

17 Mar

Should ESD shoes, heel grounders be worn outside?

Q: Is it ok to wear ESD shoes or heel, toe, or sole grounders outside?

A: No.  MIL-HDBK-263B Appendix 1 page 101 40.1.2 states, “Conductive shoes, shoe covers, or heel grounders should be used to discharge personnel on conductive floors. These items should only be worn in the ESD protected areas and should be kept clean so that contaminants do not inhibit their conductive interface with the floor.”

So, to protect your investment, for good house keeping and maintenance, longevity of the ESD personal equipment, just don them before going into the EPA and take them off when you leave.

Do this and keep them clean (vacuum inside of shoes weekly and maybe clean outsoles and grounders with soapy water once a week) and you’ll get more wear out of them and they’ll be more effective.

26 Jan

What is the importance of using ESD Footwear on ESD Floor?

Q. What is the importance of having the personnel within an EPA to wear ESD footwear on an ESD Flooring system?

A. Thanks for the inquiry. It was good speaking with you earlier. You had stated that you had concerns about the grounding of your flooring system and my first question to you was about the use of ESD footwear. I believe that you had stated that not everyone was using esd footwear.

You pose a situation here that needs to be addressed as a top priority at all levels of ESD Awareness for every client that we come into contact with. I don’t mean to over-simplify this but I am seeing a common trend in the ESD industry; your ESD system is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain. Another way to say this is; If you buy a Plasma TV, it needs to come with a power cord and you need to plug that in. Read More →

05 Dec

Wrist straps according to EOS/ESD standards.

Q: We have an ESD tile floor in our testing lab. During a recent AS9100 audit we were asked why we don’t use wrist straps. Since our ISO9100 & 2 certified calibration provider only uses them when they have to certify the repair of a system and we don’t do that do we need more than the flooring? (booties, straps, etc.)

A: The answer to your question is, YES. In accordance to EOS/ESD standards, an ESD floor in conjunction with Heel Grounders, ESD Booties, ESD Foot Wear does NOT take the place of using Personnel grounded Wrist Straps at the workstation. So the basic ESD program would include the technician wearing a Wrist Strap.

Protective personnel grounding products such as; heel straps, booties and shoes working in conjunction with an ESD floor are designed for processes within your ESD program where the technician has to be mobile within an ESDPA, (ESD Protected Area) where the electrostatic sensitive device is not protected in an ESD protective container or shielded in some manner, e.g. ESD Bag, Bin, Tote, Box, Tray, Container, etc.

If your process has technical personnel setting or standing at a workstation they DO require grounding via a Wrist Strap. So one doesn’t necessarily take the place of the other, and both may be required depending on your personnel and their mobility throughout the plant.

If your technical staff removes their wrist strap to transport an ESD sensitive device or component outside the ESD protected area, the device also needs to be shielded as well as the technician being properly outfitted with ESD shoes, booties or heel straps. Within the ESDPA, they do require the additional shielding protection of the device, but it is always a good idea when practical.

I hope this helps address your question, please let us know if we can be of further assistance with any ESD questions or ESD protective product requirements you and your team may be sourcing.