flooring resistance test kit

Are you grounded? If you’re standing on static control

flooring, then you need to know.

Confirm and maintain ESD grounding standards by routinely

With the R71 Flooring Resistance
testing your floor’s electrical resistance. Our R71 ESD Flooring Test kit you can determine:
Resistance Test Kit is conveniently compact and portable. Using
n If your floor is grounded.
the battery-powered analog ohm meter, there’s no need for
n If your floor is too conductive.
extension cords and locating electrical outlets. The R71 measures
n  hether your floor is static
W
Resistance Point-To-Point (RTT) and as Resistance Surface-To-
dissipative or conductive.
Ground (RTG) per ANSI/ESD S7.1 test methods. Voltage selection
n If your floor complies with industry
on the meter is automatically set, and will switch from 10V to 100V standards like ANSI/ESD S20.20,
should the measured resistance exceed 1 meg-ohm. FAA STD 019e, DOD 4145 and
Motorola R56.

flooring that keeps you grounded

 flooring resistance test kit

Operation
In addition to testing flooring, our ESD Flooring Resistance Test Kit can
perform RTG and RTT tests on shelves, garments, and cart worksurfaces
(using test procedures similar to worksurfaces and heel grounders). For
further information on testing, the ESD Association lists test procedures
and troubleshooting tips in Compliance Verification ESD TR53.
MEASURing RESISTANCE TO GROUND (RTG)
1. Do not clean the surface.
2. Remove all ESD-sensitive items from the surface and any items that
might interfere with the test.
3. Connect one lead banana plug to ground.
4. Use one 5-pound electrode on the other test lead and place it on the
testing surface at its center.
and 6.1.4.1.1 Flooring, Mats, or Other Hard Surface Materials: Follow
manufacturer’s instructions.
test kit Maintenance
The area surrounding the cable jacks at the top end of the meter should
be wiped with a clean cloth moistened with alcohol to remove skin oils
that will accumulate and affect the accuracy at high resistances. The
frequency of cleaning will depend on usage; once a month would be
a good starting point. Per ANSI/ESD S7.1, 6.1.6.1: Clean electrode with
a minimum 70% isopropanol-water solution using a clean, lowlinting
cloth. Allow electrode to air dry. Make sure conductive pads are dry
prior to use. The analog ohm meter requires little maintenance other
than battery changes, and there are no user serviceable parts.
Specifications

5. Set the meter’s Test Voltage button to AUTO. Press and hold the the Accuracy ±1/2 decade
TEST button until the measurement is displayed. Weight - meter 0.5 lbs.

6. Perform additional measurements by moving the electrode to the
most commonly used or worn areas on the testing surface.
CAUTION: If there is a current-limiting resistor in the work surface and
the work surface resistance is lower, the measurement will primarily be
the resistance of the resistor. Also, it is recommended to measure RTT
particularly if the material color is black.
MEASURing RESISTANCE POINT-TO-POINT (RTT)
1. Do not clean the surface.
2. R
 emove all ESD-sensitive items from the surface and any items that
might interfere with the test.
3. P
 lace the two 5-pound electrodes 10” apart on the most frequently
used area of the testing surface (at least 2” from any edge and 3” from
any groundable point).
4. If the most used area of the surface is not obvious, use two points
near the center of the surface.
5. S et the Test Voltage button to AUTO. Press and hold the TEST button
until the measurement is displayed.
NOTE: If the measurement is outside acceptable limits, clean the surface
and re-test to determine if the cause of failure is an insulative dirt layer
on the testing surface. Per ANSI/ESD S7.1, 6.1.4.1.3 Floor Finishes: Remove
any surface contamination by wiping with a clean, dry, lowlinting cloth,
Weight - kit 12.0 lbs.
Size - meter 4.5” L x 2.8” W x 2.1” H
Size - kit 9.5” L x 12.0” W x 3.5” H
Power supply (meter) 9V alkaline battery
SPECIFYING STATIC CONTROL FLOORING
note: If you are specifying static control flooring you should always
require post installation certification of the floor’s electrical properties.
Staticworx recommends inserting the following clause into every
specification involving grounded flooring used in a mission critical
application.
Upon project completion, the manufacturer or the manufacturer’s
designated representative shall test the resistive properties of the floor
using an ohm-meter per the test method ANSI/ESD STM7.1. Resistance
measurements shall be performed from the surface of tiles to a groundable
point and from one point on the tile surface to a second point on the same
tile surface. The test results shall be confirmed in writing certifying that the
flooring resistance properties measure in the specified range for electrical
resistance: (i.e. Less than 1.0 x 10 E6 and no greater than 1.0 x 10 E9 ohms.)
Refer to the graph below to find your floor’s safe range for electrical
resistance for your specific application.

Safe Ranges
Safe Ranges for Electrical for Electrical
Resistance Resistance by Application
by Application
electronics Measuring Electrical Resistance
manufacturing standard: ANSI/ESD S20.20
Every Staticworx floor is test-certified after
installation to ensure that GroundSafe Criteria
9-1-1 call centers,
standard: Motorala R56 and industry standards are met. For ESD-
dispatch operations
sensitive environments, your floor’s electrical
resistance should measure in the appropriate
APPLICATIONS control rooms,
telecom operations standard: ATIS 0600321-2010 range for your specific application (see chart
at left). The ohm meter (below) is displaying
an electrical resistance measurement of 3.0 x
flight control operations standard: FAA STD 019e 10 E4 ohms (measurement plotted on chart).

◁ CONDUCTIVE RANGE DISSIPATIVE RANGE ▷

25,000 100,000 1,000,000 10,000,000 100,000,000 1,000,000,000

(2.5 x 10 E4) (1 x 10 E5) (1 x 10 E6) (1 x 10 E7) (1 x 10 E8) (1 x 10 E9)

ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE (OHMS)

PO Box 590069, Newton, MA 02459 t: 617.923.2000 f: 617.467.5871 www.staticworx.com rev 05.30.13