An electrostatic discharge (ESD) describes the transfer of electrostatic charge between two objects caused by contact. It can cause serious damage to static-sensitive objects, such as electronic components or intricate circuit boards. Coupled with grounding equipment such as grounding cords, ESD flooring and wrist straps, ESD footwear forms a vital part of ESD protection. When a person walks across a surface, a triboelectric charge builds up on the body. This static charge can be discharged onto surrounding objects of unequal electrical potential, such as electronic components within a service and repair workstation and could cause irreparable damage.
Greg Barron.
Types of ESD footwear
Antistatic shoes: Antistatic shoes allow very limited charge to flow through them, whereas conductive ESD shoes feature a more conductive sole that dissipates static charge into the ground so that a discharge by handling cannot occur.
Conductive ESD shoes: Conductive ESD shoes come in a wide variety, depending on the application and area. We offer ESD office shoes, rugged rubber safety boots, sandals and leather work shoes. Our ESD conductive shoes comply with EN 61340-5-1 standards.
Foot & heel grounders: Conductive foot or heel grounders are safe alternatives to ESD shoes and can be added onto normal shoes to make them conductive. Foot or heel grounders are used to ground operators standing or walking on ESD-safe flooring and provide constant contact with the floor. According to IEC 61340-5-1 standards, shoe grounders must always be worn on both shoes.
Through our static control division, Altico, Actum Group specialises in ESD control within the working environment.
Contact us on +27 11 608 3001 or sales@actum.co.za to enquire about our cleaning solutions.
Coalition calls on European Commission to postpone SCIP deadline 30 September 2020
, News
A coalition of 40 industry organisations has written a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for decisive action to solve implementation issues within the EU Waste Framework ...
Read more...Follow this engineering journey of a 3D-printed boat 30 September 2020, RS Components (SA)
, News
RS Components is releasing a 10-episode documentary series – titled SeaQuest – featuring members of its DesignSpark engineering community who embarked on a first-of-its-kind challenge to design, test ...
Read more...Mouser revamps technical resource centre 30 September 2020, TRX Electronics
, News
Mouser Electronics has redesigned its Technical Resource Centre, which contains the global distributor’s ever-expanding collection of technical articles, blogs, eBooks, and Methods technology and solutions ...
Read more...IPC teams up with PSMA on standards and more 30 September 2020
, News
IPC and the Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) pledging to build a strong complementary relationship between the two entities with a focus on ...
Read more...Battery Technologies Conference goes virtual 30 September 2020
, News
Vukani Communications is back again with the 6th edition of the Battery Technologies Conference, and this time around the gathering is virtual. Topics to be discussed include, but are not limited to:
...
Read more...A journey into the automation unknown 31 August 2020
, News
From small-town specialised machine builder to global technology company, Jendamark Automation’s business journey has been characterised by calculated leaps into the unknown. And, as South African manufacturers ...
Read more...Resources for home and building automation 31 August 2020, TRX Electronics
, News
Mouser Electronics is expanding its comprehensive range of building automation solutions from Silicon Labs, TE Connectivity (TE), and Littelfuse for the rapidly growing smart home and building automation ...
Read more...From the editor's desk: Enough of 2020 already 31 August 2020, Technews Publishing
, News
Forgive me, but I don’t think I’m alone in being a bit all over the place mentally at the moment. So far, two of my colleagues have been diagnosed positive for COVID-19 and have fortunately recovered. ...
Read more...Tribute to Paul Soteriou 31 August 2020
, News
Paul Soteriou, a man always willing to share what he had with a smile and with a deep-found love for South Africa, passed away earlier this year.
Read more...Personality profile: Brian Andrew 31 August 2020, RS Components (SA)
, News
With a father who is a civil engineer and an older brother who is a chemical engineer, you could say engineering was in the DNA of Brian Andrew.
printer friendly version