Violating an ESD Safe Area

Technical Questions
#1

Good Morning

I have a question based on a hypothetical situation.

Can someone working within an ESD safe area with proper grounding accidentally damage a component if someone touches them after walking across a non-compliant floor?

#2

I would think that would be highly unlikely. The energy would be dissipated in the grounded person, not the device.

#3

Hi JohnK,

Thank you for your reply. I wasn’t sure because the grounded person is only “grounded” through a 1 meg resistor.

Bob

#4

Bob,

If you look at the discharge path, the resistance from the “ungrounded” person to the grounded person and then to the device with the energy going between the device and ground would require a very significant charged ungrounded person. There would not be enough energy to effect the device.
The discharge would most likely still go to ground through the 1 meg device.