IEC 61340-4-5:2018

Overview

IEC 61340-4-5:2018 - "Electrostatics - Part 4-5: Standard test methods for specific applications - Methods for characterizing the electrostatic protection of footwear and flooring in combination with a person" - defines laboratory and on-site test procedures to evaluate how a person + footwear + flooring system controls electrostatic charge. The standard focuses on measuring electrical resistance and chargeability (via walking tests and body-voltage recordings) to characterise electrostatic protection. Test results apply only to the exact footwear/flooring combination tested and are not intended as standalone product qualification.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope: Test methods for characterizing electrostatic protection of a person wearing specific footwear on a specific floor covering. Results are combination‑specific.
• Measured parameters:
  • Electrical resistance of the footwear/flooring/person system (setups and procedures described).
  • Chargeability determined by a walking test and body‑voltage recordings (examples and guidance for interpretation included).
• Conditioning and environment: Laboratory conditioning is specified - typically (23 ± 2) °C and (12 ± 3) % relative humidity with at least 48 h conditioning (text gives additional pre‑conditioning guidance for textile floor coverings).
• Specimen preparation: Floor specimen dimensions and mounting rules (e.g., ~2 m × 1 m specimens) and handling of groundable points are specified to simulate end‑use.
• Test apparatus and procedures: Detailed setups for resistance and chargeability measurement, cleaning procedures for footwear, calibration/verification methods for body‑voltage systems (normative annex), and an informative annex with an alternative walking pattern.
• Important notes: Safety warning for electrical hazard precautions during testing. The edition includes updated normative references, improved body voltage figures for interpretation, and an added alternative walking pattern.

Practical applications

• ESD control verification: Assess combined performance of ESD footwear and flooring in electronics manufacturing, cleanrooms, semiconductor fabs, and assembly areas.
• Flooring and footwear selection: Support decision making when choosing floor coverings and ESD footwear to reduce triboelectric charging in sensitive environments.
• Site acceptance testing: On-site evaluation of installed floors in production areas where the floor will be used without separate earthing points.
• R&D and troubleshooting: Characterize charge generation during human movement to troubleshoot intermittent ESD events or validate mitigation strategies.

Who should use this standard

• ESD/cleanroom engineers, QA managers, test laboratories, flooring and footwear manufacturers, facilities/plant engineers, and safety officers responsible for electrostatic discharge control.

Related standards

• IEC 61340-4-1 (electrical resistance of floor coverings and installed floors)
• IEC 61340-1-2 (terms/definitions related to electrostatics)
• IEC 60093, IEC 62631-3-1 (resistivity test methods)
• ISO 1957 (floor covering specimen selection)

Keywords: IEC 61340-4-5, electrostatic protection, footwear and flooring, test methods, chargeability, electrical resistance, body voltage, ESD control.