ESD safety footwear – protection against static electricity
ESD safety footwear protects you from electrostatic discharge and dissipates electrostatic charges in a controlled manner. This protection is essential when working with electrostatic-sensitive components or materials – to protect both you and your equipment. Our ATLAS range offers a wide variety of options for ESD protection: sporty, comfortable and lightweight ESD shoes in all standard safety classes – available as low-cut shoes, boots and sandals.
What do ESD safety shoes do, and what do they actually protect against?
ESD stands for ‘Electro Static Discharge’ – electrostatic discharge. The term describes the moment when two objects with different levels of static charge suddenly equalise. This discharge often lasts only a fraction of a second and is sometimes visible as a small spark – for example, when you touch a metal door handle after walking across a carpeted floor.
For the wearer, such a discharge is generally harmless. It only becomes noticeable at around 3,000 volts. For sensitive electronics, however, even a discharge of just a few volts can damage or destroy microchips. In potentially explosive atmospheres, a single spark is enough to ignite flammable gases or vapours.
This is precisely where ESD safety footwear comes into play. Its purpose is to dissipate electrostatic charges from the wearer’s body in a controlled and defined manner via the sole into the ground, before they can discharge uncontrollably.
It is important to understand that ESD footwear primarily protects objects – such as sensitive components and the production environment – rather than the wearer from electric shocks. When working on live equipment, wearers require electrically insulating safety footwear in accordance with the DIN EN 50321 standard.
Key features at a glance
- Controlled dissipation: Electrostatic charges are dissipated in a targeted and controlled manner, rather than discharging abruptly.
- Narrow resistance range: ESD shoes guarantee an electrical resistance – measured using the person-shoe-ground method in accordance with DIN EN 61340-5-1 – of less than 10⁸ ohms (100 MΩ), and thus a significantly narrower range than purely antistatic footwear.
- Product and process protection: They protect sensitive electronic components during manufacturing and contribute to safety in potentially explosive atmospheres.
- Full safety performance: ESD footwear meets the same safety requirements (e.g. toe cap, puncture protection) as conventional safety footwear – with ESD capability added as an additional feature.
- Antistatic protection: This is the aspect of ESD footwear that protects the wearer from static shocks and ignition hazards – albeit to a limited extent. All ESD footwear is antistatic, but not all antistatic footwear meets the ESD standard.
When do you need ESD protection?
ESD safety footwear is essential wherever electrostatic discharges could damage sensitive components or disrupt processes. This typically includes environments with sensitive electronics – and production areas where sparks pose a significant hazard.
Typical areas of application and sectors:
- Electronics and semiconductor industry: manufacture of microchips, printed circuit boards and semiconductor technology
- Automotive and supplier industry: assembly and testing of electronic components
- Pharmaceutical and medical technology: manufacture of medical devices, cleanroom environments
- Battery, aerospace and watchmaking industries: work on sensitive precision components
- Research institutions and laboratories: controlled, electrostatic-sensitive workstations
- Hospitals and clinics: Areas containing sensitive medical electronics
Typical job roles: Electronics technicians, mechatronics technicians, production and assembly staff in the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing sectors, laboratory and cleanroom staff, and employees in precision engineering.
Whether ESD protection is required at your specific workstation is always determined by the risk assessment carried out for that workstation. If in doubt, your employer or the designated health and safety officer will provide definitive guidance.
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What are the risks associated with a lack of ESD protection?
Without suitable protection, static electricity can discharge uncontrollably – with a wide range of consequences:
- Damage to sensitive components: Even a discharge of just a few volts can damage microchips and other electronic components. The damage often develops gradually and only becomes apparent later as a fault.
- Quality and cost risks: Destroyed or previously damaged components lead to scrap, rework, customer complaints and production downtime.
- Risk of explosion and fire: In potentially explosive atmospheres, even a single spark – generated by a discharge of around 50 volts – can ignite flammable gases or vapours and trigger explosions.
In short: without controlled dissipation, an inconspicuous ‘everyday discharge’ becomes a genuine risk to the product, the process and safety.
The difference between antistatic and ESD
The terms ‘antistatic’ and ‘ESD’ are often confused. The key to understanding lies in electrical resistance – and in this rule: all ESD footwear is antistatic, but not all antistatic footwear meets the ESD standard.
Antistatic safety footwear is defined in the footwear standard DIN EN ISO 20345. A shoe is considered antistatic if its resistance lies between 10⁵ ohms (100 kΩ) and 10⁹ ohms (1,000 MΩ). Below this value, the shoe is considered conductive; above it, insulating. Antistatic properties are a standard safety feature in protection classes S1, S2 and S3.
ESD footwear goes one step further: its properties are governed by the ESD standards DIN EN 61340. For ESD shoes, the resistance is measured in the ‘person-shoe-floor’ system and is guaranteed to be below 10⁸ ohms (100 MΩ) – typically even significantly lower according to the ESD test criteria. The ESD range is therefore more narrowly defined than the antistatic range.
An example to illustrate this:
- A shoe with a resistance of 100 MΩ is antistatic, but falls outside the narrow ESD limits.
- A shoe with a resistance of 1 MΩ is both antistatic and ESD-compliant.
For reference: the three electrical categories according to EN ISO 20345:
- Conductive (C): where electrostatic charge is to be dissipated as quickly as possible and a hazard from live parts can be ruled out.
- Antistatic (A): where charge is to be reduced and dissipated, but contact with live parts cannot be completely ruled out.
- Insulating (I): where there is a risk of electric shock from live equipment (e.g. during many electrical tasks, as regulated by DIN EN 50321).
How ATLAS manufactures ESD footwear: quality and certified standards
At ATLAS, every safety shoe is manufactured in line with the standards we have set for ourselves for over 100 years: the highest quality, durability and comfort – ‘Made in Germany’.
- Standard-compliant manufacturing: All ATLAS safety shoes are manufactured in accordance with DIN EN ISO 20345. This standard defines the safety and antistatic requirements.
- ESD in accordance with recognised standards: ESD-compliant models also meet the requirements of DIN EN 61340 and bear the corresponding ESD marking. This is how we guarantee the specified resistance in the person-shoe-floor system.
- Safety without compromise: Our ESD models offer the same protective features as our other safety footwear – ESD capability is an additional, tested quality feature.
This is how we combine tradition with innovation: from durable materials to ergonomic fits that stand the test of a long working day.
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How do you look after your ESD shoes properly?
To ensure that an ESD shoe performs its function reliably, the electrical discharge path must remain unobstructed at all times. The most important care instructions:
- Keep the soles clean: Dirt, dust or residues on the outsole can alter the resistance and impair the discharge function. Clean the soles regularly.
- Use suitable insoles: Only use insoles that are specifically designed for this purpose, are ESD-compatible and have been approved by the manufacturer. Incorrect insoles can negate the ESD properties.
- Take clothing and flooring into account: The ESD effect is achieved through the combined system of person, shoe and floor. Suitable, conductive flooring and appropriate ESD clothing are equally important.
- Keep an eye on the condition: Replace heavily worn or damaged soles, as wear and tear can alter the dissipative properties.
How do you find the right protection for yourself?
Once you’ve established that your workplace requires ESD protection, it’s best to filter directly for our ESD-compliant models. The ATLAS Shoe Finder will then help you easily narrow down your selection by industry, protection class and fit. If you’re still unsure, our team of experts is on hand via the helpline to offer personalised advice, ensuring you find the right shoe for your needs.