Desco - Questions And Answers

Is it necessary to remove foot/heel grounders as one departs an ESD protected area? For workers that are continually stepping in and out (e.g. Quality Managers), are they inadvertently nullifying the protective properties of their footwear if they keep them on continuously?

ESD footwear, including foot grounders and heel grounders, provide no benefit when walking on a non-ESD floor, however they will wear. So ideally removing them would extend the life of the foot grounder. Dirt is typically insulative, so per ESD SP9.2 APPENDIX B - Foot Grounder Usage Guidance “Compliance verification should be performed prior to each use (daily, shift change, etc.). The accumulation of insulative materials may increase the foot grounder system resistance. If foot grounders are worn outside the ESD protected area testing for functionality before reentry to the ESD protected area should be considered.”

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