ESD shoe test stations are essential (ESD personal testers)

To ensure that the ESD footwear used meets the expected ESD protection requirements, it must be tested regularly using an ESD footwear test station. In some cases, these ESD personal test devices can also be used to test the functionality of ESD wristbands.

In the following article, we explain why it is essential to use ESD footwear test stations to test ESD footwear.

Function of ESD shoes and ESD wristbands

The function of ESD footwear and ESD wristbands is to dissipate electrostatic charges from the wearer’s body in a controlled manner; in the case of ESD footwear, this is done via the soles and, in the case of ESD wristbands, via the cable connected to the ESD wristband. However, depending on the application, further ESD measures must be taken to ensure adequate ESD protection, such as the installation of ESD floor coverings, the use of ESD furniture, ESD table mats, the creation of ESD workstations and/or entire ESD protection zones.

With the help of ESD shoes and ESD wristbands, the risk of uncontrolled discharges and the resulting damage to ESD-sensitive components can therefore be reduced if the respective employee touches such a component.

Please also read our further articles on the subject of ESD shoes:

“ESD shoes – what are they and when are they necessary ?“

“What makes ESD shoes special“

“Importance of ESD flooring and ESD footwear for electronics production“

“Birkenstock ESD shoes: Arizona ESD sandal for men and women“

ESD test stations for checking ESD protection

So-called ESD test stations are used to test whether ESD shoes, ESD wristbands or ESD clothing provide the correct ESD protection. These test devices are used to test the resistance of the respective shoe, wristband or clothing, i.e. whether the respective item insulates too much, conducts too much or has the right resistance to provide the necessary ESD protection.

Failure to test ESD footwear, ESD wristbands or other ESD protective equipment may result in the lack of ESD protection of these items of equipment remaining undetected and causing damage to ESD-sensitive components. Such damage can in turn lead to entire production batches having to be recalled. This can result in very high costs, as the damaged components have often already been installed in other assemblies.

There are different types of ESD shoe testers:

ESD shoe tester for wall mounting: usually mounted in front of ESD protection zones
Portable ESD shoe tester: can be used in various locations
Bench test devices for ESD shoes: mostly used in laboratory environments

The following ESD shoe test stations can be found in the abovo online store:

Wristband and shoe test station
ESD wristband and shoe tester
Shoe test station (for shoes only)
SafeSTAT 6000 wristband and shoe test station (person recognition through an integrated RFID module)

Also a test station for ESD clothing can also be purchased from the abovo online store.

Inspection intervals and care of ESD shoes

If an ESD protection zone (EPA) has been set up in accordance with DIN EN 61340-5-1, regular measurements must be taken to check whether the functionality of the protection zone or its elements is still ensured. Before entering the ESD protection zone, the personal ESD protective equipment must therefore be tested on a daily basis. The ESD work tables, ESD floor mats and ESD earthing connections should be checked monthly. The ESD monitoring instruments should be tested annually.

If ESD footwear and ESD wristbands are to be tested daily for functionality before the start of a shift, an ESD test station should be installed in front of the ESD protection zone, whereby many of these test stations can test both ESD footwear and ESD wristbands. However, there are also pure ESD shoe test stations. In addition to shoe and wristband test stations, there are also test stations for ESD clothing.

However, it may be necessary to introduce shorter test intervals under certain circumstances, for example if there is a high level of dust ingress on the floors. In this case, ESD footwear and ESD wrist straps should be tested several times a day. This is because ESD shoes can only dissipate electrostatic charge effectively if they have clean soles. If the soles are dirty, this can affect the electrical resistance. ESD shoes must therefore be cared for accordingly. Wear, moisture and/or temperature can also affect the functionality of ESD footwear.

You may also be interested in the following articles on ESD protection:

“ESD control program: creation, establishment and maintenance“

“Perform ESD measurement to check the limit values“

“ESD – Electrostatic discharge“

“ESD rules of conduct and ESD checklist“

Advice on ESD test stations

We at Swiss cleanroom wholesaler abovo will be happy to advise you on selecting the right ESD test station for your application to check the correct functioning of ESD footwear and/or ESD wristbands or ESD clothing, for example.

The easiest way to contact our ESD experts is by phone or e-mail: