ESD-Safe Clothing to Provide Personal Protection in Cleanroom & Laboratory

In earlier days, the majority of clothing used in  workplaces dealing with electrostatic discharges was made of 100 percent cotton. As with all the natural fibers, it offered the benefit of being subject to minimal antistatic build-up without the use of additional equipment. 

Well, what changed?

Whenever the air was dry, cotton clothing couldn’t withstand the requisite fiber moisture and lost its natural discharge capability. Thus, leading to dangerous ESD charge build-ups. This is the reason the industries started to switch to ESD-safe clothing/garments.

Every day workers create static charges on their bodies while carrying out several applications in the cleanroom & laboratory that can turn out to be quite dangerous. With ESD-safe coats, jackets, and smocks, they can easily save themselves from the risks associated with electrostatic discharge (ESD).

Adopt ESD-Safe Clothing for Your Workplace

Assessing the ESD risks associated with everyday clothing can be a tough task. Using ESD-safe clothing (like jackets, smocks, and coats) can easily send static on its way. These garments are made of a dissipative material that incorporates texturized polyester and carbon nylon fibers. The nylon fibers are woven in a chain-link design that provides continuous and consistent dissipation of static charge.

The ESD-safe clothing from Lab Tech contains anti-static yarns to dissipate electrons eliminating and controlling the static build-up. Thus, protecting both the wearer and the product without the requirement of earthing. The ESD-safe lab coats allow the user to shield the insulative clothing and minimize the electric fields generated from their clothing.

The Superior Properties of ESD-Safe Garments

ESD-safe clothing is made with a blend of polyester and BASF resistant conductive fiber and is perfect for cleanrooms and laboratories. These act as a protection layer for the workers while they concentrate on working in the static surrounding.

A superior quality ESD cloth possesses the following ESD control characteristics:

• Antistatic nature to minimize the generation of electrostatic charges.
• Are dissipative to remove charges to the ground when grounded.
• Provide a shield that creates a “Faraday Cage” effect restricting the charges generated on the user’s clothing to the inside of the ESD lab coat.
• ESD clothes are groundable so the worker can easily and reliably connect them to the ground.

Understanding the Need for ESD Protection

The risks associated with electrostatic discharge (ESD) can be both damaging and costly. This could not only result in the destruction of sensitive electronic components but also create a risk of fire for employees working in flammable environments. The ESD-safe clothing eliminates and controls the static build-up on the regular clothes of the user. Hence, protecting the users from any static discharge.

Even the smallest electric charges can cause considerable damage, for instance:

• Damage to sensitive electronic components.
• Information deletion on magnetic data carriers.
• Fire is caused due to fibers and dust that stick to the products.

The Requirements to Consider While Choosing ESD-Safe Clothing

While selecting conductive or static dissipative equipment or clothing, you should always take the area of application into consideration. For instance, in workplaces involving an ESD environment, Ensure that optimal skin compatibility is offered.

Antistatic protection is often required when dealing with chemicals or for environments where sensitive air-gas mixtures are a common occurrence. Other areas of application include - metalwork and wood processing. It is critical to be used when welding in dusty environments, to comply with the antistatic standard in addition to standards regulating heat and flame protection as well as welding protection.

Get Your Hands on the Top-Notch ESD-Safe Wearables

Understanding the importance of cleanroom attire helps to keep the work environments safe and enhance the operational efficiency. These not only ensure the level of airborne contaminants stays below an acceptable threshold but also deal with electrostatic discharges.

Here is a list of ESD-safe wearables you can select from:

1. ESD-Safe Lightweight Jackets

The ESD-safe jackets are an EC series lightweight long-sleeve coat and are made of a dissipative material. Additionally, these restrict the charges generated on the user’s clothing to the inside of the ESD lab coat.

2. ESD-Safe Medium-Weight Jackets

ESD-safe medium-weight jackets are most suited for businesses where the risks associated with electrostatic discharge are greater. In certain environments, employees use a large amount of equipment that could release hazardous electrostatic charges. Utilizing ESD-safe medium-weight jackets helps to channelize the static charge build-up. 

Apart from the anti-static materials used for manufacturing protective clothing, you should also look for the features of the garments. The ESD-safe clothing must cover all non-complying materials and the conductive parts like the zipper, button, etc., when in use.

Focusing on Anti-Static Security in Areas of Electrostatic Discharge

Wearing ESD-safe clothes is imperative for cleanroom & laboratories personnel. These wearables are very helpful in preventing natural cloth contaminants from sticking with the equipment and also in protecting the wearer from hazards in the immediate area.

Lab Tech offers a wide array of ESD-safe coats, smocks, and jackets to protect the users from the mishaps of static electricity. These are comfortable to wear and fit your workplace requirements. Get your hands-on ESD-safe products and superior quality apparel at GoKimco to amplify your workplace safety and productivity.