We are in discussion to adopt the ESD concept in our factory, and the blocking point is the use of ESD shirts vs. cotton shirts. The main concern of our management is whether the carbon fibers from the ESD shirts might affect the skin of the users long-term. Also I got a feedback that during wearing the ESD shirts tend to smell badly, than the cotton ones.
Could you give me some feedback regarding how user friendly is wearing log term an ESD shirt or not? If you have experienced some reactions to it?
I think the better question would be whether you can adequately resolve the ESD issue you may have with the less expensive (less smelly), cotton shirt. Generally, the electric fields coming from a person’s body are very small, but you could measure this. You could have a grounded person wearing the cotton shirt move around and attempt to “charge up” and then measure the electric field coming from their body at a typical working distance (perhaps a foot) from their body. If the person is grounded, I would think you would see very little if any voltage from the person’s body, but it would be worth checking for your own benefit. If the voltage you measure is less than your requirements, then a cotton shirt should be acceptable.
@ClaudiaB
Please reckon how the employees would use the shirts, I think. Because I saw a lot of times T-shirts onto sweaters with long sleeves / turtlenecks and generated high electric field surrounding everywhere. What is under cotton shirt or under ESD shirt? Cotton is OK only because itself does not produce the charge. But never can shield the charge from underneath clothes. ESD shirt can suppress charge with one condition that covers all human private garment.