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What is ESD flooring?
As a person walks across a standard epoxy floor, it is very easy to build up static charge through friction because epoxy acts as an insulative material. Where there is static, there is electro-static discharge. This can cause mayhem in certain industries. ESD floors, also known as static dissipative floors (1 Mohm to 1000 Mohms) or conductive floors (.025 Mohms to 1 Mohms), provide superior static control, inhibiting static electricity on a person or from reaching sensitive equipment.
Benefits of ESD Flooring
Protecting personnel from injury or loss of life due to shock or explosion. ESD floors are often used to protect those working in cleanrooms.
Protecting sensitive electronic components from damaging static electricity, often in computer and electronics manufacturing
Better performance than tile which can delaminate under heavy-duty conditions
Saving money on replacing or repairing electronic equipment that has failed or been damaged due to static electricity
Creating a 100% effective static-controlled environment, complete with ESD footwear
Recommended Industries
For many industries, it is crucial to control static electricity. In computer and electronics manufacturing, anti-static floors are designed to protect sensitive electronic equipment. For sensitive electronics, circuit boards, and microchips, as little as 250 volts can cause damage to components. Humans can feel a static charge of 2,500 volts. Many production facilities that produce pills, sugars, grains or munitions utilize ESD floors to protect employees. In a worst case scenario, a static charge can cause loss of life due to explosions. Grain and sugar particles in the air, as well as fine powders used in pill manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry, can become combustible. An arc of static electricity can ignite and cause large explosions in these environments.
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Recommended Products
Our line of ESD floors use conductive materials blended into our systems. Some anti-static systems use carbon-filled primers, while others utilize conductive pigments. Along with the conductive benefits, all of our ESD floors maintain the same outstanding properties as our other floors – they are chemical and abrasion resistant and easy to clean. Our team of Territory Managers, Architectural and Engineering Representatives will assist you in choosing the best ESD product for your environment with the look you desire.
Explosion Proof (EP) is a crucial requirement for equipment intended for use in hazardous (classified) locations, as stipulated by the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, Article 500. These locations are known to have potentially ignitable, flammable, or combustible atmospheres, where a mere spark could trigger an explosive reaction. To ensure safety, all electrical components installed in hazardous (classified) locations must be insulated from the atmosphere.
In electrically classified laboratories, electrical outlets and switches are enclosed in boxes that are intrinsically safe and rated as EP. Additionally, wiring in the lab is completely enclosed in conduit to prevent any sparks or potential ignition sources. Spark resistant construction is an absolute necessity for any equipment installed in these spaces. Components within a hazardous (classified) location must comply with EP requirements as defined by NFPA 70 to mitigate the risk of explosions and ensure the safety of personnel.
The National Electrical Code (NEC) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70 classify rooms with potentially explosive or flammable atmospheres as either Class I, II, or III and Division 1 or 2 within each of these classes. Class I locations refer to places where flammable gases or vapors may be present in the air in quantities sufficient to produce explosive or ignitable mixtures. Class II and III locations are rooms with the presence of combustible dust and fibers, respectively, and are not typical of the atmosphere in a laboratory environment.
If a fume hood is situated in an area with any of these electrical classifications, it should be rated as EP, irrespective of the nature of the activities performed inside it. This is because laboratories with a potentially flammable atmosphere must be devoid of any spark potential, including the electrical components situated outside the fume hood’s airstream.
It is a common misconception that working with a flammable chemical automatically requires an EP fume hood. However, only a small percentage of customers actually need EP fume hoods for their application. Many laboratories can effectively manage flammable chemicals with standard fume hoods that are properly ventilated and meet relevant safety standards.
When determining the need for an EP fume hood in your application, there are a few key factors to consider. Contrary to common misconception, EP hoods are not designed to contain explosions, but rather to minimize the potential for sparks that could ignite a flammable atmosphere.
In fact, most manufacturers define an EP hood as one that has been modified to eliminate spark potential outside the fume hood, reducing the risk of igniting a flammable atmosphere. These hoods are specifically designed to prevent sparks and potential ignition sources from escaping the hood and posing a risk in hazardous (classified) locations.
An EP laboratory hood is equipped with specially designed electrical components, such as EP rated switches, receptacles and internal wiring. The fume hood manufacturer does not supply these EP components, but instead, a licensed electrician installs them on-site in accordance with all state and local codes. For this reason, all EP modified Labconco fume hoods come with an EP rated incandescent light fixture and without bulbs, wiring, switches or duplexes.
Spectrum™ Fiberglass Reinforced Polyester (FRP) and PVC exhaust blowers are designed to meet the requirements for applications in hazardous (classified) locations, when installed in accordance with ANSI/ASSP Z9.5 and NFPA 45 guidelines. As per NFPA 45, which is the standard for fire protection in laboratories using hazardous materials, exhaust fans used to remove hazardous substances must be located on the roof or exterior of a building. Adhering to these installation guidelines helps ensure the safe operation of exhaust fans and prevent any potential ignition sources from being present inside the hazardous (classified) location itself.
As stated in the American Society of Safety Professionals’ ANSI/ASSP Z9.5 standard, exhaust fans must conform to AMCA 99 for their construction. According to AMCA 99, exhaust fans that handle potentially explosive particles, fumes or vapors are required to have spark resistant construction for all components within the hazardous air stream, eliminating the risk of ignition.
Labconco’s Spectrum FRP and PVC exhaust blowers are designed with the highest level of spark resistant construction, adhering to Type A construction requirements as specified in AMCA 99. This ensures that these exhaust fans meet the safety standards for operation in hazardous (classified) locations, providing an added layer of protection against potential sparks and ignition sources.
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