Questions And Answers

We have wrist strap monitors and workstations where fluorescent light magnifiers are used, the wrist strap alarms goes of when the operator's hand comes near the lamp or the wrist strap cord passes near the lamp.

Is there a risk of an ESD event caused by the field?

Do you have any experience with this phenomenon?

Thank you.

Timothy Kelly

ESD Process Control Engineer

BATC

tjkelly@ball.com

When Continuous Monitor alarms, there is most likely grounding or electrical wiring problem, or an electrostatic field present that should be corrected. Or, possibly ESD events occurring nearby that need controls applied.

Typically, the Monitor will properly alarm due to a faulty wrist strap cord, poor wrist band contact with operator’s skin, loose worksurface mat connection or that the worksurface does not have a conductive layer.

Examples from the field where Continuous Monitors have properly alarmed have included:

• the gas shock absorber on a production chair was creating a tribocharging event and causing the alarm to sound light fixture with a charge on the housing, caused by improperly wired power strip, that caused the monitors to alarm every time the operator touched the lamp laser printer at the ESD protected workstation; [unfortunately, a laser printer takes the toner powder utilizing static electricity] test equipment with excessive current leakage plug strip powering the work bench with AC leakage continuous monitors (also called constant monitors).