Why Is It Important To Wear An ESD Wristband In An EPA?

ESD wristbands provide a reliable and effective way in helping to prevent damage to sensitive electronic components or devices.

In many industries, even the smallest amount of static electricity can cause significant damage to components or devices. This can lead to costly faults and repairs.

They provide a continuous path to ground for the static electricity that builds up on a person’s body. Often this path to ground will be through a connection from a grounding point, to either an ESD mat, ESD flooring or ESD workbench. This discharges the static to the ground, avoiding ESD events with components or devices.

ESD wristbands are crucial in a number of industries, especially where electronic devices are being manufactured, assembled or repaired.

 

How Should Wristbands Be Worn?

In order to ensure the best protection from ESD, you should ensure that they are being worn correctly. The following steps provide some clear guidance for how they should be worn:

1. Ensure Wristband Is Connected To Grounding Point – As eluded to above, wristbands need to be connected to a grounding point, usually an ESD mat, ESD Flooring or ESD workbench. By doing so, you ensure the continuous path to ground for all built-up static electricity.
2. Secure & Positioned On Wrist - The wristband should be positioned snugly but not too tight to the wrist.
3. Avoid Touching Metal Clip – Once you have grounded yourself with the wristband, avoid making contact with the grounding point as much as possible. Touching the clip can lead to discharge that can damage static-sensitive devices.
4. Ensure Wristband Always Worn – When working with electronic components or devices, the wristband must be worn at all times for continuous grounding.

 

What Are The Common Mistakes That People Make When Wearing ESD Wristbands?

ESD damage can occur when people make mistakes whilst wearing their ESD wristbands. Below are the most common mistakes that operators make whilst wearing ESD wristbands:

Unsecure Wristband – As mentioned above, your wristband should be snug, ensuring sufficient contact with your skin. Avoid allowing the wristband to be too loose or slide up and down the wrist. This can lead to inconsistent grounding or no grounding at all.

Keep Clean & In Good Condition – Like all equipment, to get the best results it needs to be well maintained. Ensure that the wristband is cleaned regularly using a damp cloth. Dirt, sweat and other contaminants can reduce the effectiveness of your wristband. If damaged or worn it is best to replace it.

Don’t Share Wristbands – Skin resistance can vary from person to person, so it is best to not share wristbands among colleagues. Doing so can lead to inconsistent grounding.