Antistatic standard

Definition: antistatic clothing and ESD safety shoes

Some sectors of activity have much higher risks of work accidents than others, this is particularly the case in the industrial environment. To ensure safety, Personal Protective Equipment is therefore available to employees when the situation requires it. In the event that a work environment exposes an agent to the risk of electric shock, sparks or even explosions, or quite simply in the face of natural current phenomena. Wearing antistatic equipment is mandatory. ESD safety shoes: ESD allows the controlled discharge of electrostatic energy which can damage electronic components and avoids the risk of ignition resulting from electrostatic charges. Volume resistance between 100KiloOhm and 100 MegaOhm. Antistatic PPE are designed with specific materials, which undergo a particular production process in order to ensure the antistatic standard that protects the human body from mortal danger. Find out more about this standard in the following.

Better know the antistatic standard of PPE and understand why antistatic?

Each movement of a person generates a static charge, and more particularly during contact between clothing and another surface (the body, other clothing or objects). This friction can create a discharge of static electricity, which in turn can create sparks that can be potentially (very) dangerous, and sometimes fatal.

It is to eliminate these risks that an employee must be properly equipped when working in a space charged with static electricity or when handling certain objects. The purpose of the antistatic equipment will then be to quickly dissipate the charges so that they have no consequences.

The different antistatic PPE

Because electrostatic charge is ultimately found everywhere, a large number of PPE have antistatic properties, we will see the differences between the various PPE.

The safety shoes and the safety boots are said to be safety boots when they correspond to European standard EN ISO 20345. All shoes categorized as PPE from category 1 (including S1, S1P, S2 and S3) are antistatic. The same applies to safety boots in category 2: S4 and S5.

Like clothing, antistatic gloves must also meet the EN 1149-5 standard. This standard guarantees equipment that dissipates electrostatic charge quickly.

Certain cases and certain environments also require the wearing of protection for the head, face and even the ears (hearing) against electrostatic discharge. In this case, the equipment must be standardized ATEX,because the electronic components of this PPE are electrostatic.

Jobs requiring the wearing of iso 20345 antistatic equipment

Whatever the position of an employee, as soon as he works in an ATEX zone (Explosive Atmosphere), the wearing of appropriate antistatic PPE becomes mandatory. In this type of work environment, the slightest spark can cause an explosion.

This antistatic standard is also frequently used in the chemical industry, in transport, in all water, gas and electricity services or in oil and gas extraction.

Note, however, that authorization from a manager will be required to wear this PPE in an oxygen-enriched atmosphere.