Questions And Answers

Per ANSI/ESD S20.20 paragraph 5. PERSONNEL SAFETY Users are cautioned that this document cannot replace or supersede any requirements for personnel safety. Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) and other safety protection should be considered wherever personnel might come into contact with electrical sources.

Per paragraph 6.2.2. Personnel Grounding 6.2.2.1. Personnel Grounding Requirements All personnel shall be ... electrically connected to ground ... when handling ESD sensitive items. When personnel are seated at ESD protective workstations, they shall be connected to the common point ground via a wrist strap system. NOTE: The Organization must be aware of local safety laws and/or codes when grounding personnel while working with energized equipment. 6.2.2.2 Personnel Grounding Guidance ESD protective flooring, used with approved footwear, may be used as an alternative to the wrist strap system for standing operations.If the worker in the wheelchair has duties that include transporting ESD susceptible product in the ESD protected area, in lieu of ESD footwear, the wheelchair could be grounded via a drag chain to the ESD protective flooring. Periodically, one would need to verify that there was a grounding path via the person’s body, through the wheelchair and drag chain to the floor. One way of doing this would be wearing an ESD Smock with a conductive cuff and with hip-to-cuff grounding where the coil cord would be attached to the wheelchair if it is a metal wheel chair. If wheels are not conductive, a drag chain would be needed to provide ground to ESD protective flooring. Alternately, the worker in the wheelchair could be required to transport ESD susceptible product only enclosed in low charging, static shielding protective packaging such as a Metal-In ESD Bags.