ESD Awareness

You cannot feel a discharge below about 3,000 volts. Some of the components you handle can be damaged by 100 volts or less. The discharge that kills a part, or weakens it so that it fails months later in an aircraft, a satellite or a patient, is one you will never notice. This course explains why, and then teaches the control program that stops it.

You will learn how static charge is generated, what the human body model and charged device model describe, and why latent damage is a bigger problem than parts that fail at test. You will learn the elements of a control program written to ANSI/ESD S20.20 or IEC 61340-5-1: the ESD protected area, grounding, wrist straps, footwear and flooring, work surfaces, ionizers, garments and the daily checks that prove the controls still work. You will learn to read the ANSI/ESD S8.1 symbols, the difference between shielding and dissipative packaging, how to move parts between protected areas, what to do about insulators and how to protect parts during field service. The final module works through scenarios from the production floor, stores and customer visits, explains what an ESD audit looks for and sets out the short list of responsibilities every handler owns.

The course is for anyone who handles or works near electrostatic sensitive items at electronics, aerospace, defense and medical device sites, including stores, goods-in, rework, shipping, engineering and field service staff. No prior knowledge is needed.

The course closes with a 10-question examination drawn from a bank of 20. On passing you receive a PlanetISO Certificate of Completion with lifetime access to the course. The certificate does not expire.