Control of static charge on personnel: impact of socks on resistance to ground through footwear

A study was initiated to evaluate the resistance to ground and tribocharging characteristics of a large number of people wearing different shoes in an electronics manufacturing environment. Various test methods were used to measure the resistance of shoes, shoes and socks, and resistance to ground of personnel through various flooring materials. This study has determined that the impact of socks to the overall resistance to ground values of personnel is a critical factor especially in an environment with low relative humidity.