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A man in blue protective ESD-safe garment and a woman in white ESD safe garment inside a cleanroom

Statshield ESD Safe Workwear: Importance, Working Principle, Benefits, and Maintenance

 ESD safe and static control clothing is essential to ensure personnel safety and a professional work environment. Surveys show that about 70% of accidents are caused due to the lack of proper knowledge about personal safety. Choosing the right protective workwear and learning about static control and ESD safety has become inevitable. 

A woman with a  protective head cap, eyewear, and face mask

Photo by EVG Culture from Pexels

It is high time to conceptualize that anti-static clothing and ESD safe clothing are two different things. People often use the terms as a synonym for each other. Hence, it is necessary to clarify this misconception to save the lives of workers and sensitive devices.

The prime difference between the two terms is that anti-static clothing protects the personnel in the work environment from explosives and sparks. Whereas ESD safe clothing protects sensitive devices from damages. So it is always ideal to use statshield ESD-safe clothing to ensure 100% worker and sensitive device protection.         

Some of the protective garments used to improve the product safety standards and personnel protection are

An electric worker in navy blue static-controlled garment standing in the work field     

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay 

Nitty Gritty of protective clothing   

From small-scale home environments to large-scale manufacturing industries, static controlled equipment and clothing are mandatory to improve workplace safety. Protective clothing should be designed according to the need of the industry you work in. It should cover your body from head to toe.

A person wrapped in statshield ESD sage garment and head covered with orange head cap

Photo by Kateryna Babaieva from Pexels

A workplace assessment is an important criterion to determine the type of safe clothing fit for your work environment. An employee working in the chemical industry and a worker in the automobile industry are exposed to different static risks. Hence, it is necessary to choose the apt protective clothing according to the industry requirements.

Fabrics like carbon thread and man-made polyester with higher tensile strength are used to make protective clothing with static-controlled and ESD safe properties. Many industries have started making customized protective clothing with logos and symbols to maintain a professional outlook.     

A woman in green and red workwear at an automobile industry

Image from pexels

Along with heightened protection, a qualitative garment should increase productivity. It should be easily handleable and recommended by the standard testing agency. Also, highly rated personal protective garments should give protection from a hazardous environment where you are exposed to

  • Electrical utilities
  • Medical and lab equipment
  • Harsh weather conditions
  • Flammable liquids, oil, and gas

How does it work?

The protective static-controlled clothing is designed with semi-conductive or conductive threads or materials. This conductive fabric absorbs or dissipates the static energy produced in the work environment. 

Electric workers in workwear climbing on transformers

Image by 272447 from Pixabay

A plethora of materials and fabric are used to manufacture Personal Protective Clothing to eliminate the risk of static electricity. Though Carbon and polyester are commonly used, there are rubber and latex varieties that reduce friction and harmful discharges.  

In any way, personal protective garments are highly advantageous as per the guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Compulsory usage of these garments can implement 100% safety. 

Benefits Of Protective Garments

Anti-static and ESD safe clothing has many advantages. The easy to put on and take off garments are life saviors by all means. It is highly appreciable that big and small industries have now started to assign safety officers to analyze the environment and worker safety to eliminate any kind of safety dysfunctions. 

A man wearing personal protective clothing at an automobile industry

Photo by ELEVATE from Pexels

Here are some positive results-oriented features of workwear clothing that will help you to increase the efficacy of your life and work. 

  1. Comfortable to wear   
  2. Lightweight and flexible
  3. Reusable and durable
  4. Dirt-resistant and easy washable 
  5. Showcases high conductivity
  6. Custom made to meet industry requirements
  7. Offers wide range of sizes for both men and women 

How to Choose the Best Personal Protective Garment

Understanding the industry type and requirements is the first step towards selecting the right personal protective garments. Every industry has its own specifications and requirements. Hence, it is recommended to design customized garments for the employees.

A man walking near a rail tunnel wearing orange statshield clothing and yellow foot grounder and headcap

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

Moreover, while choosing anti-static clothing, you should ask for a qualitative test report from the manufacturers. Also, always cross-check if the garments contain metallic zip, buttons, or hooks. Ensure that if the garments contain metallic substances, they don’t make direct exposure to your work environment.     

Guidelines For Effective Use Of Protective Garment

It is imperative to know the functionality and fabric quality of the protective clothing you are wearing to ensure quality performance. 

Though personal protective garments are made adhering to the industry standards and lightweight fabric, some employees find it uncomfortable to remain in workwear garments. Dizziness, heat stress, and vomiting tendency are common in some workers.

So while wearing protective garments, it is advised to remain hydrated to reduce heat stress. Your body sometimes takes time to adapt to statshield ESD safe workwear.  

Guidelines For Effective Maintenance  

Continuous washing can deteriorate the static control efficiency of the personal protective fabric. Strict adherence to manufacturing guidance or instruction is mandatory to eliminate mishaps and increase the durability of the protective garments. 

Two women working inside laundry to ensure safe wash of protective garments

Photo by Daria Sannikova from Pexels

  • Use cold water or lukewarm water to wash the garments
  • Use non-ionic detergents or fabric softeners
  • Never expose garments to dry and hot air 
  • Never use bleach like hard substance 
  • Maintain the lowest temperature while ironing
  • Store them inside a dry and ventilated space
  • Keep them away from sunlight and open-air  

Final Thoughts

Personal Protective clothing is mandatory for any work environment. Grounded footwear, ESD and static control furniture and equipment should be inculcated along with clothing. Proper assessment of the work environment is necessary to choose the right garments fit for your industry type. 

It is not just enough to buy a protective garment. You must learn the basic usage properties and maintenance services to unfold the optimum use of protective garments.

A plethora of anti-static and ESD safe garments are available at Gokimco, the sought-after online electronic appliance store. Find all the needful protective garments here and improve workplace safety and productivity. 

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