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The electronics and chemical industries want to reduce the continual increase in the
danger arising from discharges of static electricity. Personal protective equipment will
play a large part in this. Good protective footwear and clothing and earthing bracelets
can cut the risk of damage to electronic components and the risks to persons, for example,
in the chemical industry, which has many explosive hazards.
In a project entitled 'The Identification and Management of Risks Caused by Electrostatic
Discharges (ESD) in Various Jobs', several companies, the Work Safety Foundation, and VTT
Automation jointly WERE DEVELOPING a systematic procedure to control dangers caused by
static electricity. The procedure AIMS TO eliminate risks, by identifying and evaluating
them. The goal is to create seamless risk management over the entire logistic production
chain.
VTT has studied electrostatic risks in several workplaces, at different times of the year.
The electrostatic properties of protective footwear and clothing have also been
investigated. The Finnish clothing and footwear industry is well placed to respond to new,
even international requirements, in the production of electrostatic protective equipment.
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Good management of electrostatic risks can improve safety, especially in the chemical
industry, which handles and transports ever increasing quantities of highly flammable
substances. Explosions also cause substantial costs through lost production. In the
electronics industry, the dangers of static electricity must be reduced, as the greater
integration density and smaller size of components have made them increasingly sensitive
to damage.
Further information: VTT Automation, Salme Nurmi,
tel. +358 (0)3 316 3207 and +358 (0)40 560 6603.
