Grounding Equipment and Methods

Grounding equipment must include either a wrist strap or a foot strap at a grounded workstation.

■When seated, wear a wrist strap connected to a grounded system. Wrist straps are flexible straps with a minimum of one megohm ±10% resistance in the ground cords. To provide proper ground, a strap must be worn snug against the skin. On grounded mats with banana-plug connectors, connect a wrist strap with alligator clips.

■When standing, use foot straps and a grounded floor mat. Foot straps (heel, toe, or boot straps) can be used at standing workstations and are compatible with most types of shoes or boots. On conductive floors or dissipative floor mats, use them on both feet with a minimum of one-megohm resistance between the operator and ground. To be effective, the conductive strips must be worn in contact with the skin.

Other grounding equipment recommended for use in preventing electrostatic damage include:

■Antistatic tape

■Antistatic smocks, aprons, or sleeve protectors

■Conductive bins and other assembly or soldering aids

■Non-conductive foam

■Conductive tabletop workstations with ground cord of one-megohm resistance

■Static-dissipative table or floor mats with hard tie to ground

■Field service kits

■Static awareness labels

■Material-handling packages

■Non-conductive plastic bags, tubes, or boxes

■Metal tote boxes

Removal and Replacement Preliminaries 4-5