Glossary: Conductive Flooring

When referring to flooring materials, the term “conductive” is often confused with the term “static dissipative.” Floors are correctly classified as conductive or static-dissipative based upon their electrical resistance to ground. Electrical resistance is measured in ohms (Ω).

The resistance to ground of a conductive floor is usually defined as < 1.0 x 10E6 ohms, measured per ANSI/ESD STM 7.1. Conductive flooring meets the required resistive properties (< 10E9 ohms) for a floor complying with the resistance to ground parameter in ANSI/ESD S20.20.

• Conductive flooring should not be considered as superior to a floor in the static dissipative range.
• Static-control floors should be selected based on two parameters: Electrical resistance and walking body voltage. While all conductive floors meet the resistance requirements of ANSI/ESD S20.20, some fail to meet the walking body voltage requirement (< 100 volts).

2) A type of flooring intended to prevent, mitigate, dissipate, conduct, remove or ground excessive static electricity charges on people, furniture, mobile carts and equipment.

Note: This generic description is not useful in evaluating static-control flooring materials. Materials should be evaluated based upon their electrical resistance, suitability for the application, and compliance with industry standards.

Safety Considerations

• Static conductive flooring should not be used near or under energized equipment.
• Always consult industry standards as well as local building and safety codes before installing conductive flooring.
• Depending on the application, ground fault interrupters may be required in spaces equipped with conductive flooring.
• Conductive flooring should never be installed in dispatch areas, call centers or flight control rooms. These spaces require the electrical resistance of flooring materials to measure at least 1.0 x 10E6 or above.