The Case Against Highly Conductive ESD Flooring

NFPA 99 No Longer Covers Conductive Flooring

[11 min read, 4 min videos]

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You may have heard ESD flooring manufacturers refer to a standard called NFPA 99. With roots dating back to the 1950s, NFPA 99 guides health care services in minimizing the hazards of fire, explosion, and electricity in their facilities.

In 2015, the NFPA removed conductive flooring from the standard. But let’s forget for a moment that, for ESD flooring, NFPA 99 is defunct.

Resistance testTo meet the NFPA standard, the electrical resistance of an ESD floor had to measure no less than 2.5 x 10E4, or 25,000 ohms. The resistance test for NFPA 99 is similar to ANSI/ESD Standard Test Method (STM) 7.1. Both tests measure electrical resistance—or a floor’s capacity to resist, or reduce, electrical current.

Neither test reliably simulates a real-world environment: Both use a battery-operated generator to apply voltage across the surface of the flooring material. Battery-operated generators put out direct, or D-C, current, which flows in one direction. The electricity in common power circuits travels in waves, or A-C, alternating current, which periodically changes or reverses direction.

An independent engineering lab tested the resistance of ESD floors using both A-C and D-C currents. Delivered across an ESD floor, A-C currents measured as much as nine times higher than predicted by theoretical calculations based on Ohm’s Law.

You may have heard ESD flooring manufacturers refer to a standard called NFPA 99. With roots dating back to the 1950s, NFPA 99 guides health care services in minimizing the hazards of fire, explosion, and electricity in their facilities.

In 2015, the NFPA removed conductive flooring from the standard. But let’s forget for a moment that, for ESD flooring, NFPA 99 is defunct.

Resistance testTo meet the NFPA standard, the electrical resistance of an ESD floor had to measure no less than 2.5 x 10E4, or 25,000 ohms. The resistance test for NFPA 99 is similar to ANSI/ESD Standard Test Method (STM) 7.1. Both tests measure electrical resistance—or a floor’s capacity to resist, or reduce, electrical current.

Neither test reliably simulates a real-world environment: Both use a battery-operated generator to apply voltage across the surface of the flooring material. Battery-operated generators put out direct, or D-C, current, which flows in one direction. The electricity in common power circuits travels in waves, or A-C, alternating current, which periodically changes or reverses direction.

An independent engineering lab tested the resistance of ESD floors using both A-C and D-C currents. Delivered across an ESD floor, A-C currents measured as much as nine times higher than predicted by theoretical calculations based on Ohm’s Law.

Calculated versus Actual Current
Calculated versus Actual Current

ESD SignThis means, in a real-world environment, electricity will flow across the floor far faster than predicted mathematically. That’s why, when selecting any ESD floor, it’s crucial to consider safety.

It’s also why the FAA (in FAA 019f) prohibits conductive flooring that measures under 1 x 10E6—anyplace where personnel may come into contact with energized equipment. In layman’s terms: anywhere electronics are plugged into an outlet.

This means, in a real-world environment, electricity will flow across the floor far faster than predicted mathematically. That’s why, when selecting any ESD floor, it’s crucial to consider safety.

It’s also why the FAA (in FAA 019f) prohibits conductive flooring that measures under 1 x 10E6—anyplace where personnel may come into contact with energized equipment. In layman’s terms: anywhere electronics are plugged into an outlet.

ESD Sign

Resistance Testing: NFPA 99 and ANSI/ESD 7.1

While NFPA 99 and ANSI/ESD 7.1 were similar tests, they differed in one very important way: The test for NFPA 99 was done with 500 volts of electricity. ESD 7.1 is done with only 10 volts. 10. That’s 1 fiftieth the voltage used in NFPA 99.

Why does it matter?

Because some people assume the readings are interchangeable—and they’re not. According to Ohm’s Law, voltage correlates inversely to electrical resistance. Put simply: less applied voltage yields a higher resistance reading. And vice versa.

Graphic is titled "Voltage and Resistance" with the subtitle "How voltage affects the resistance of an ESD flooring material". The first graphic underneath shows a blue floor tile with boxing gloves (titled "ESD floor's resistance (r)") on the left side. On the right side is a smaller purple rhino (titled "Voltage (v). An arrow points from the rhino back to the tile. The arrow extends beyond the floor tile but is much thinner. The text underneath reads "When voltage is low a material has a much higher electrical resistance". In smaller text underneath it reads "* As indicated in resistance tests performed according to ESDA STM7.1 Underneath this is a second graphic, again with a carpet tile with boxing gloves but a much larger rhino. Again, an arrow is pointing back. This time the arrow that extends beyond the floor tile is much thicker. The text beneath reads "When voltage is high, the same material has trouble resisting (or stopping) the flow of current.
Graphic is titled "Voltage and Resistance" with the subtitle "How voltage affects the resistance of an ESD flooring material". The first graphic underneath shows a blue floor tile with boxing gloves (titled "ESD floor's resistance (r)") on the left side. On the right side is a smaller purple rhino (titled "Voltage (v). An arrow points from the rhino back to the tile. The arrow extends beyond the floor tile but is much thinner. The text underneath reads "When voltage is low a material has a much higher electrical resistance". In smaller text underneath it reads "* As indicated in resistance tests performed according to ESDA STM7.1 Underneath this is a second graphic, again with a carpet tile with boxing gloves but a much larger rhino. Again, an arrow is pointing back. This time the arrow that extends beyond the floor tile is much thicker. The text beneath reads "When voltage is high, the same material has trouble resisting (or stopping) the flow of current.

The NFPA considers a resistance of 25,000 ohms (2.5 x 10E4) safe—if the floor is tested at 500 volts. Tested at 10 volts, the same floor would likely measure over 1 x 10E5, or 100,000 ohms. Both resistance measurements are considered safe for applications where energized equipment is in use—based on their test methods.

Now, consider the reverse: more applied voltage yields lower resistance readings.

Suppose, at 10 volts, per ESD 7.1, a floor measures 25,000 ohms. At 500 volts, the same floor could measure as low as 2500 ohms—a resistance so dangerously low that electricity would rocket across its surface, at a rate lethal to humans.

If someone standing or kneeling on an overly conductive floor were to accidentally become part of a live electrical circuit—while servicing or inspecting electrified equipment, for example—he or she could receive a dangerous electrical shock.

Split illustration titled "Worker on an overly conductive floor". In the illustration on the left side, a worker is crouching touching equipment with a metal tool (labeled "Metal object or tool"). A yellow line shows the path of electricity from the object to ground. A red wire leading from the object is labeled "Short circuit or "live" electrical wire". On the right hand side, the worker is shown receiving a shock.
Split illustration titled "Worker on an overly conductive floor". In the illustration on the left side, a worker is crouching touching equipment with a metal tool (labeled "Metal object or tool"). A yellow line shows the path of electricity from the object to ground. A red wire leading from the object is labeled "Short circuit or "live" electrical wire". On the right hand side, the worker is shown receiving a shock.

If a manufacturer claims their highly conductive floor meets the defunct NFPA 99 standard, be sure to ask how the floor was tested and exactly how much voltage was applied.

To be sure your floor falls within a safe resistance range:

  1. prefer suppliers that don’t sell overly conductive floors;
  2. request independent lab testing;
  3. specify products with an inherent resistance buffer that’s at least one order of magnitude higher than the minimum, 25,000 ohms (10E5 rather than 10E4).

Neither NFPA 99 or ANSI/ESD STM7.1 should be used as the sole basis for safety judgments.

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Ohm's Law and Calculated Current

In a recent white paper, Ronald Gibson, a retired ESD program manager from Celestica Corporation, pointed out that measurements from D-C resistance meters should never be used to determine if a grounded floor is safe or unsafe. Gibson provided examples demonstrating that actual (as opposed to calculated) A-C electrical currents can be much higher than one would predict by calculating current using ohm meter readings and inserting them into an Ohm’s Law equation.

In Gibson’s example below, the true A-C current (22 milliamps) is actually nine times greater than the calculated current of 2.4 milliamps.

Note: Calculated current is computed using Ohm’s Law. Current equals voltage divided by resistance. 120 volts divided by 50,000 ohms = .0024 or 2.4 milliamps. In theory this means that a 50,000 ohm material would only deliver 2.4 milliamps when subjected to 120 volts AC power.

ItemConditionVoltageCurrentResistance
Conductive Scrim inside Table CoveringCurrent limited Resistance Meter Reading10200 uA5.0 x 10E4
Calculated current based on Ohm’s Law1202.4 milliamps5.0 x 10E4
Actual AC current12022 milliamps5.4 x 10E3
Increase in currentActual current 9 times higher than predicted

Based on Gibson’s comments we sought the services of an electrical engineering lab to subject conductive and static-dissipative carpet tiles to this same type of scrutiny. The lab’s findings concurred with the data Gibson provided in his paper on electrical safety. As predicted, static-dissipative flooring allowed far less current than conductive flooring.

In these tests, the amount of current delivered through a conductive carpet tile was measured above 50 milliamps. OSHA cites 16 milliamps as the level of current where a person’s muscles would contract and prevent them from letting go of the electrified object.

The A-C current measured across conductive carpet tile was over three times that amount: 50 milliamps is considered a “fatal current.” Since studies have shown that conductive carpet offers no performance advantage over static dissipative carpet, there is no incentive for its use.

Caveat: Electrical Safety Testing

Testing to prove an electrically safe working environment in a room equipped with conductive flooring is not the same as performing a simple set of resistance tests with a current limiting ohm meter. Definitively stating that an environment is “electrically safe” requires special licensing, extensive research and the testing would need to be performed after the flooring has been installed.

To be conclusive, this level of safety testing would need to capture A-C leakage current measurements under conditions simulating an A-C short circuit, similar to the way electrical high voltage safety shoes are tested.

Those materials with a surface resistivity less than 1.0 x 10E5 ohms per square when tested per ANSI/ESD STM11.11 shall be considered conductive. Conductive ESD control materials shall not be used for ESD control work surfaces, tabletop mats, floor mats, flooring, or carpeting where the risk of personnel contact with energized electrical or electronic equipment exists.

FAA: 5.8.3.1 Static Conductive Materials (p105)

ESD control floors and floor coverings shall have a point-to-point resistance and a surface-to ground resistance of greater than 1.0 x 10E6 ohms and less than 1.0 x 10E9 ohms (ANSI/ESD STM7.1). ESD control flooring, floor coverings, and floor tile laminates include materials such as vinyl tile, vinyl sheet, carpet, carpet tile, and carpet tile with positioning buttons, but not the applied coatings on the material.

FAA, 5.8.9 ESD Control Flooring and Floor Coverings (p110)

Any carpeting or floor tiles should have a resistance to ground between 10E6 and 10E10 ohms when measured using the method of ESD-S7.1. Existing flooring that does not meet this requirement should be treated with a topical antistatic solution such as an antistatic floor wax. The effectiveness of antistatic solutions is temporary and varies with floor material and relative humidity. Flooring resistance should be monitored every two weeks minimum to verify conformance to the above requirement.

ATIS 0600321 concur with these government standards. From 2015 version of ATIS: 4.2 Flooring.

Buy ATIS document here.

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StaticWorx high-performance static-control floors protect electronic components, explosives, and high-speed computers from damage caused by static electricity. ESD flooring is part of a system. Choices should always be based on objective, researched evidence. When you partner with us, we look at all possible items that may need to integrate with the floor, and, focusing on your goals and objectives, help you find the right floor for your application.