A Guide to Anti-Static and ESD Safety Footwear

Anti-static and ESD safety footwear helps to prevent the dangerous build-up of static electricity on your body by conducting charges safely to the ground. While often confused, these two types of electrostatic protection serve different purposes: anti-static footwear provides general static dissipation for most industrial environments, while ESD footwear offers more controlled dissipation specifically for protecting sensitive electronic components.

Understanding the difference matters. Choosing the wrong type could leave electronic components damaged, create spark hazards in explosive atmospheres, or provide inappropriate protection for your specific work environment.

Understanding Static Electricity at Work

Static electricity builds up when materials rub together, transferring electrons from one surface to another. Walking across a floor, handling materials, or simply moving generates static charge on your body.

This matters because static causes problems. Static shocks are uncomfortable when touching grounded objects. In explosive atmospheres, sparks can ignite flammable gases, vapours, or dust. Static discharge can corrupt electronic data and disrupt equipment.

Here’s the critical point: you only feel static discharge above approximately 2,000 to 3,000 volts. However, sensitive electronic components can be damaged by discharges as low as 100 volts, meaning you can destroy components without feeling anything.

Your feet provide the connection between your body and the ground. Safety footwear with appropriate electrostatic properties creates a controlled path for static charges to dissipate safely into the floor, preventing dangerous build-up.

What Is Anti-Static Safety Footwear?

Anti-static safety footwear dissipates static electricity from your body to the ground through the sole of the boot. It has an electrical resistance between 0.1 and 1,000 megaohms, measured according to EN ISO 20344.

The footwear contains materials that conduct electricity at a controlled rate. Static charge builds up on your body, passes through the footbed, travels through the sole construction, and dissipates into the floor. No dangerous build-up occurs.

Anti-static properties are mandatory for all safety footwear rated S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, and S7 under EN ISO 20345. Only SB (basic) rated footwear may lack anti-static properties. This means the vast majority of safety footwear is anti-static by default.

What Is ESD Safety Footwear?

ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) safety footwear provides more controlled static dissipation than standard anti-static footwear, and is specifically designed to protect sensitive electronic components.

Under EN 61340-5-1:2016, ESD footwear must have resistance between 0.1 and 100 megaohms. The previous EN 61340-5-1:2007 standard required resistance below 35 megaohms, which was stricter.

Rock Fall continues to test ESD footwear to the stricter 35 megaohm limit, providing enhanced protection even though the current standard allows 100 megaohms. This ensures maximum protection for sensitive electronic components.

ESD footwear works as part of a complete Electrostatic Protected Area (EPA) system. This includes ESD flooring to provide a conductive path to ground, ESD clothing to prevent charge generation, wrist straps for secondary grounding when seated, and ESD workstations with grounded work surfaces. ESD footwear alone isn’t sufficient; it must be used with compatible ESD flooring and as part of a complete static control programme.

Anti-Static vs ESD: Key Differences

The fundamental difference is the resistance range, which determines how quickly and completely static charges dissipate.

Anti-static footwear is tested to EN ISO 20345 with a resistance range of 0.1 to 1,000 megaohms. Its purpose is general static dissipation, and it’s required for general industry applications.

ESD footwear is tested to EN 61340-4-3 with a resistance range of 0.1 to 100 megaohms (or 35 megaohms under stricter standards). Its purpose is component protection, and it’s required for electronics and EPA environments. It must be used with ESD flooring.

The critical distinction is this: all ESD footwear is also anti-static, but not all anti-static footwear is ESD compliant.

If a boot has resistance of 50 megaohms, it meets both anti-static requirements (below 1,000 megaohms) and ESD requirements (below 100 megaohms). If a boot has resistance of 500 megaohms, it meets anti-static requirements but not ESD requirements.

For general warehouse work or working near flammable materials, standard anti-static footwear is appropriate. For electronics manufacturing, EV battery assembly, data centre work, medical device manufacturing, or working in a designated EPA, ESD footwear is required.

Other Electrical Properties

Beyond anti-static and ESD, other electrical properties exist for specific applications.

Conductive footwear has resistance below O.1 Megaohms. It provides the fastest possible static dissipation for highest-risk explosive atmospheres but offers no protection against electric shock. It’s only used where static is the primary hazard and electrical shock risk is absent.

Electrically insulating footwear has resistance above 1,000 megaohms. It blocks electrical conduction to protect against electric shock but will build up static charge. It’s the opposite of anti-static.

Understanding Resistance Values

Electrical resistance determines how easily current flows. In safety footwear, it controls how quickly static dissipates.

At 100 kilohms, resistance is very low with rapid conduction, classified as conductive. At 1 megaohm, resistance is low with good dissipation, suitable for ESD and anti-static. At 35 megaohms, you’re at the upper limit for strict ESD standards. At 100 megaohms, you’re at the upper limit for current ESD standards. At 1,000 megaohms, you’re at the upper limit for anti-static. Above 1,000 megaohms, footwear is insulating with no dissipation.

Too low (below 0.1 megaohms) means dissipation is too rapid and could cause shock if touching live equipment; this is classified as conductive, not anti-static. Within range means controlled, safe dissipation with no shock hazard from the footwear itself. Too high (above the range) means insufficient dissipation and static continues to build up.

Who Needs Anti-Static Footwear?

Anti-static footwear is appropriate for most industrial environments where static build-up could cause discomfort, ignition hazards, or general equipment interference.

Industries requiring anti-static protection include manufacturing to prevent static shocks and provide general equipment protection, warehousing to prevent shocks when touching metal racking, chemical and petrochemical for spark prevention near flammable materials, logistics for comfort and shock prevention, construction for general protection, automotive for general protection and paint environments, and food processing to prevent dust ignition and protect equipment.

Anti-static rather than ESD is sufficient when the primary concern is preventing uncomfortable static shocks, the environment doesn’t contain sensitive electronic components, there’s no EPA designation, and standard S1, S2, or S3 footwear meets requirements.

Since anti-static is mandatory for S1+ rated footwear, most workers already have anti-static protection without specifically requesting it.

Who Needs ESD Footwear?

ESD footwear is required in environments where uncontrolled static discharge could damage sensitive electronic components or corrupt data.

Industries requiring ESD protection include electronics manufacturing for component protection during assembly, semiconductor production for chip damage prevention, EV battery manufacturing for battery cell and BMS protection, data centres for server and storage protection, medical device manufacturing for sensitive equipment protection, aerospace electronics for critical component protection, telecommunications for network equipment protection, and research laboratories for sensitive instrument protection.

If your workplace is designated as an EPA (Electrostatic Protected Area), ESD footwear is typically mandatory. Look for yellow ESD warning signs, ESD flooring (often grey or black conductive tiles), wrist strap stations, ESD workbenches, and ESD packaging and handling procedures.

Rock Fall ESD Certified Range

Rock Fall offers multiple ESD styles tested to EN 61340-4-3:2018 at the stricter 35 megaohm limit.

The FaraDRI RF008 is a safety trainer that’s waterproof with breathable mesh and lightweight construction. The TeslaDRI RF120 is a mid-cut trainer that’s waterproof and breathable with mid-cut support. The Brooklyn TC500 is a safety shoe with brogue styling for professional appearance.

All Rock Fall anti-static footwear rated S1 and above includes anti-static properties as standard.

Maintaining Electrostatic Properties

Electrostatic properties can degrade over time or be compromised by contamination.

Contamination from oil, grease, or dirt on the sole can insulate and prevent dissipation, so clean soles regularly. Wear on soles may cause inconsistent conductivity, so replace when worn. Excessive moisture can alter resistance, so allow footwear to dry properly. Non-ESD aftermarket insoles break the dissipation path, so use only ESD-compatible insoles. Damaged soles with cracks or delamination affect the path, so replace the footwear.

In critical ESD environments, footwear should be regularly tested. Your employer should have procedures for ESD footwear testing in EPA environments.

ESD footwear only works on ESD-compatible flooring. Non-conductive flooring like standard carpet, rubber mats, or some vinyl will prevent static dissipation regardless of footwear specification.

Choose the Right Electrostatic Protection

Understanding the difference between anti-static and ESD footwear ensures you select the right protection for your workplace. For most industrial environments, standard anti-static footwear included in all S1+ safety footwear is sufficient. For environments with sensitive electronics or EPA designation, ESD-certified footwear is essential.

If in doubt, consult your safety officer or contact Rock Fall for guidance on selecting appropriate electrostatic protection.

Rock Fall; anti-static and ESD safety footwear tested to the highest standards. Because static control matters.

Content created in partnership with Rock Fall.