What is ESD Flooring?

Choosing a particular type of flooring that works perfectly for your business can be a difficult task, and many people fall into ignorance not knowing the functions of different flooring materials. Something as simple as a person walking across a standard epoxy floor can make it very easy for static charge to build up through friction, as epoxy acts as an insulating material.

ESD is the acronym used for ‘Electrostatic Discharge’, and is the action of static being created by movement and then touching another object to release the discharge. It can be made by people or any moving equipment, such as trolleys, conveyors, or heavy equipment moving across a warehouse floor, and charged insulators like plastic.

The majority of electrostatic discharges are below 3,500 volts, which means they are undetectable to people, making us completely unaware of the potential ESD around us. Small static shocks of electricity might not seem like much at first, but depending on the sensitivity level of electronics and other materials used throughout your business, something as small as 10 volts of static can have an impact on integrity. This is where ESD flooring products come in.

What are the benefits of ESD flooring?

ESD flooring is used to protect electronics or other materials from any damage caused by static electricity that accumulates in the workplace. Anti-static floors take the static electricity that builds up naturally and move it through the floor to the ground. By grounding the charge, ESD can’t build up and won’t discharge into the workplace.

The flooring is created from a combination of materials, including carbon fibres, which transfer the electrostatic charge to the flooring, reducing the chance of someone building up a static discharge through physical contact.

The risk of an unwanted static discharge can result in extremely life-threatening situations, for example, an unwanted spark could generate and cause an explosion in flammable environments. Not only would you be protecting your personnel from injuries or loss of life due to shock and explosions, but you would also be protecting sensitive electronic components from damage caused by static electricity.

ESD flooring offers better performance than standard tile, which can delaminate under heavy-duty conditions, creating an effective static-controlled environment.

Which industries benefit from anti-static flooring? 

Many organisations may consider using anti-static flooring options for several reasons, but most industries require them as a basic safety precaution. For instance, chemical manufacturers regularly use flammable chemicals and materials, requiring a static-free work environment to prevent ignition. Other industries that rely on the uninterrupted or guaranteed use of electronic items, such as hospitals or air-traffic control rooms, benefit from using ESD flooring solutions to prevent static damage to equipment.

Why choose ESD flooring solutions?

An ESD flooring solution is easy to install, clean and maintain and is a more environmentally sustainable option for your business. Additionally, it has a lower life cycle cost and is easy to move and reuse.

ESD flooring can come in a number of styles, and here at R-Tek, the R-Tile ESD interlocking floor tiles are manufactured using an injection moulding process, guaranteeing a permanent ESD performance. They are used in accordance with an earthing kit and conductive matrix that will create a safe conductive floor that can be used as your primary ground.

When working with R-Tek, our ESD flooring experts take into consideration the finer details of your project to ensure all the demands required of your floor are met. If you would like to discuss our ESD anti-static flooring solutions in more detail, get in touch with R-Tek today and our team will get back to you.