The grade we install
Conductive: 2.5 x 104 to 1.0 x 106 ohms
This is the tighter of the two static control bands and the one New Era installs. It moves a charge off the floor fastest, which is what gets specified when the discharge itself is the hazard rather than the part being handled[5].
Conductive against dissipative
Same job, different speed. The ESD Association publishes both bands and is clear that neither one is universally correct[5].
| Conductive | Static dissipative | |
|---|---|---|
| Resistance band | 2.5 x 104 to 1.0 x 106 ohms | 1.0 x 106 to 1.0 x 109 ohms |
| Charge moves | Fastest | Slower, more gradual |
| Usual home | Explosives, energetics, munitions, hazardous processing | Electronics assembly, board handling, most ESD sensitive work |
| Specified by | DESR 6055.09 for arms and ammunition areas | ANSI/ESD S20.20 control programs |
| New Era installs | Yes, this is the grade we put down | Available if your spec calls for it |
Where conductive is the requirement
The clearest case is US Department of Defense explosives work. DESR 6055.09 makes conductive flooring mandatory in ammunition load, assemble and pack areas, propellant casting, pyrotechnic assembly and energetics manufacturing[10]. In those rooms a discharge is an ignition source, so the floor has to move the charge before it can build.
Hospitals used to be on this list
NFPA 99 required conductive flooring at 2.5 x 104 to 1.0 x 106 ohms in operating rooms using flammable anesthetics. That requirement was removed in the 2015 edition and is still absent from the 2024 edition, because those anesthetics are essentially gone from US surgical practice[9].
FAA facilities go higher, not lower
FAA-STD-019 sets floor resistance between 1.0 x 106 to 1.0 x 109 ohms in rooms with energized equipment[11]. That is deliberately above a typical manufacturing floor, for personnel safety around live power.
The system as published
Manufacturer technical data for the conductive system, verified against the data sheet[7].
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Applied thickness | 5 to 7 (6 typical) mils | manufacturer TDS, Kretus SELECT ESD Epoxy |
| Solids | 100 percent solids | manufacturer TDS |
| Application temperature | 50 to 90 degrees F | manufacturer TDS |
| Ambient humidity limit | under 90 percent RH | manufacturer TDS |
| Substrate above dew point | 5 degrees F above dew point | manufacturer TDS |
| Foot traffic, at 70 F | 24 hours | manufacturer TDS |
| Vehicle traffic, at 70 F | 7 days | manufacturer TDS |
Questions
Is conductive flooring safe to stand on?
Yes. The resistance band is chosen so the floor drains a charge without the person becoming the fastest path to ground. That is the whole reason the requirement is a band with a lower bound and not simply 'as conductive as possible'. In rooms with energized equipment the required band is deliberately raised, which is what FAA-STD-019 does[11].
Do we need conductive or is dissipative enough?
Your program document decides. Dissipative is the default for most electronics work[5]. Conductive is specified where a spark could ignite something, which in practice means explosives and energetics areas under DESR 6055.09[10]. If you are unsure which applies, start with the standards page.
How is the finished floor checked against the band?
Can conductive go over an existing floor?
Sometimes, and it depends entirely on what is down now and what state the slab is in. A previous coating, a sealer or wax will all sit between the new system and the ground path. How prep is decided, or send us the room.
Sources
- ANSI/ESD STM7.1-2020, floor resistance test method for static control flooring
Floor systems resistive characterization: the test method for qualifying floor materials before installation and for accepting and monitoring them after installation.
www.esda.org - ANSI/ESD STM97.1-2025, person plus footwear plus floor system resistance test
System resistance measurement of a person, footwear, and floor tested together; this is the test behind S20.20's under-1.0 x 109 ohm system ceiling.
webstore.ansi.org - ANSI/ESD STM97.2-2016, walking body voltage test for static control footwear
Voltage measurement on a person walking the floor while wearing static control footwear; this is the test behind S20.20's under-100 V limit.
www.esda.org - ESD Association: conductive or dissipative static control flooring, how to choose
Cited here for the static-dissipative flooring resistance band per the ESD Association.
www.esda.org - Conductive and dissipative ESD epoxy technical data sheet, resistance and cure figures
Cited here for the conductive flooring/coating resistance band. The ESD Association's own consumer-facing page states only the <= 1.0 x 106 ohm ceiling with no stated floor.
www.arcat.com - Why ESD floor resistance requirements differ by industry, and what NFPA 99 dropped
Cited here for the historical conductive-floor resistance range for hospital operating rooms.
incompliancemag.com - DESR 6055.09, DoD explosives safety rule requiring conductive flooring in AA&E areas
Explosives safety standards for DoD operations; makes CONDUCTIVE (not merely dissipative) flooring mandatory in ammunition load/assemble/pack, explosives processing, propellant casting.
www.denix.osd.mil - FAA-STD-019, floor resistance and grounding requirements for FAA facilities
Lightning and surge protection, grounding, bonding, and shielding for FAA facilities and electronic equipment.
staticworx.com - ESD TR53, compliance verification testing for ESD control items already in service
Technical report for compliance verification testing of ESD control items already in service; the document a facility's periodic floor-resistance recheck follows.
www.esda.org
Every number on this page came from one of those documents. Send us the room and we will tell you which of them your floor has to answer to.