Portwest - Do You Know Booklet

DO YOU KNOW 26

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANTISTATIC & ESD FOOTWEAR

Electrical resistance is an important characteristic of safety shoes. Movement and friction causes a build up of electrostatic charge in the body. Shoes and clothing that are not conductive enough can increase this charge. At a certain point a discharge will occur. A discharge that is too high or uncontrolled can result in serious consequences such as an explosion due to spark formation or damage to electronic products and components in a working environment.

ANTI- STATIC FOOTWEAR VS. ESD (ELECTROSTATIC DISSIPATIVE)

1. Anti-static footwear protects the user from medium levels of electricity that could cause serious injury whereas ESD footwear protects the product i.e. electronic devices and circuitry from a build up of static that can cause damage.

2. Anti-static footwear can be worn in many different work environments whereas ESD footwear is ideally suited for the electronics industry, laboratories and other work places where delicate, electronic components are used.

3. 3. Anti-static shoes have an electrical resistance between 0.1 and 1000 MegaOhm (MΩ), measured according to EN 20344: 2011 whereas ESD have an extremely low electrical resistance between 0.1 and 100MΩ .