Hi,
I am new here, but i have a question on this requirement on the Walk test and Body System Resistance.
Q1: Is it a requirement to carry out this test every year, eventhough the plant is under strict temperature and Humidity control (23 ±2 C and 40%-60% RH).
Q2: Should the ESDA auditor normally witness this test during audit as part of sampling complaince verification test.
Thank you
Sukhbeer,
ANSI/ESD S20.20 Table 2 requires the “Walk Test” per ANSI/ESD STM97.2 and the “Body System Resistance” test per ANSI/ESD 97.1 only as part of the initial product qualification of a footwear and flooring system. Per ANSI/ESD S20.20, “Product qualification shall occur during the initial selection of the ESD control item and before initial use.” There is no requirement to repeat the tests unless a new type of footwear or flooring is used in the facility.
Typically these tests are done in a laboratory chamber so the required humidity of 12% +/- 3% and temperature of 23 C +/- 3 C can be maintained for the 72 hours before each test. However, ANSI/ESD S20.20 does allow “Organizations with facilities where the annual minimum relative humidity (RH) is above the environmental conditioning levels identified within the product qualification test method for each ESD control item can use this minimum value to qualify each item used within that facility.” So if your facility has a minimum annual humidity of 40%, then you could do these tests in the facility at this lowest humidity level.
There is also no need to have the ANSI/ESD S20.20 assessor from the certification body to witness this test since it is done typically before initial use