Unlike ESD Conductive Tiles, is it possible to perform Product Qualification for ESD Epoxy Floor Coating using STM7.1, STM97.1 and STM97.2 standards?
If yes, am I right to say that I can choose the lowest RH of the facility to perform the qualifications on my own?
If no, then what will be the path forward? Considering the site is expecting for a cost effective solution.
*Remarks:
The site has been using ESD Epoxy Floor Coating at Production over a decade and has just decided to qualify for ESD certification.
You are correct. ANSI/ESD S20.20 section 7.3 states “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. However, any ESD control items that leave these facilities (for example, packaging) shall be qualified using environmental test requirements within the product qualification test methods identified in Tables 2, 3, and 4 of this standard.”
You could also possibly use compliance verification records for product qualification if the footwear/flooring system is not selected as the personnel grounding method. Section 7.3 also states “Organizations that can verify the use of ESD control items before adopting this standard to certify their ESD control program can use compliance verification records to meet product qualification requirements. These records shall cover a minimum of one year and reflect a timeframe immediately before using as product qualification records. These records shall reflect test results that meet the compliance verification test limits identified in Tables 2, 3, and 4 of this standard.
The use of compliance verification records for product qualification does not apply when the organization selects a footwear/flooring system as the personnel grounding method. When a flooring/footwear system is selected, it shall be qualified using the environmental test conditioning specified in the test methods identified in Table 2 or by the lowest RH at the facility as described above. Product qualification shall be completed for each footwear and flooring type combination used by the Organization.”