An ESD protected area (EPA) is an area that is equipped with the ESD control items required to minimize the chance of damaging ESD sensitive devices. In the broad sense, a protected area is capable of of controlling static electricity on all items that enter that work area. Personnel and other conductive or dissipative items shall be electrically bonded together and connected to ground (or a common connection point when a ground is not available) to equalize electrical potential anong the items.
The size of an EPA can vary greatly. A protected area may be a permanent workstation within a room or an entire factory floor encompassing thousands of workstations. A protected area may also be a portable worksurface or mat used in a field service situation
An EPA might be one ESD workstation, an area that has been established to effectively control ESD. At an ESD workstation, we attempt to limit electrostatic charges by grounding all conductors (including people) removing all insulators (or substituting with ESD protective versions) or neutralizing process essential insulators with an ionizer.
In addition to conductive and dissipative worksurfaces, personnel grounding devices and ionizers, your company may provide a variety of additional ESD control materials. The proper use of these materials will enhance your company’s ESD control program:
- ESD smocks and gloves
- ESD packaging, bags and boxes
- Conductive foam and shunt bars
- Antistatic or low charging tape
- ESD cleaners and topical antistat
- Dissipative bottles and cups
- Dissipative binders
- Dissipative document and badge holders
- Dissipative floor finishes
- Conductive paint and epoxy
- Conductive and dissipative flooring
- ESD hand lotion
