A static-control floor finish is a non-permanent conductive or static-dissipative coating periodically applied to existing floor surfaces. Floor finishes ground personnel, equipment, or other objects that touch the surface of the floor and dissipate charges to ground. Some finishes control the generation and accumulation of static charges associated with some charge-generating flooring materials, such as certain resins and polymers.
Unlike ESD floors with inherent (permanent) conductivity, ESD finishes wear off over time. The loss of conductivity affects electrical performance – i.e., the ability of the finish to protect electronics against harmful static discharge events. Without regular, well-monitored and controlled electrical testing, there is no way to know when an ESD finish has lost its conductivity. For this reason, ESD finishes do not provide reliable static protection.
