ANSI/ESD S6.

1-2014
Revision of ANSI/ESD S6.1-2009

For the Protection of Electrostatic

Discharge Susceptible Items

Grounding

Electrostatic Discharge Association

7900 Turin Road, Bldg. 3
Rome, NY 13440

An American National Standard

Approved October 10, 2014
 ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014

ESD Association Standard for

the Protection of Electrostatic Discharge
Susceptible Items -

Grounding

Approved September 24, 2013

ESD Association
 ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014

Electrostatic Discharge Association (ESDA) standards and publications are designed to serve the
CAUTION public interest by eliminating misunderstandings between manufacturers and purchasers, facilitating
the interchangeability and improvement of products and assisting the purchaser in selecting and
NOTICE obtaining the proper product for his particular needs. The existence of such standards and
publications shall not in any respect preclude any member or non-member of the Association from
manufacturing or selling products not conforming to such standards and publications. Nor shall the
fact that a standard or publication is published by the Association preclude its voluntary use by non-
members of the Association whether the document is to be used either domestically or internationally.
Recommended standards and publications are adopted by the ESDA in accordance with the ANSI
Patent policy.

Interpretation of ESDA Standards: The interpretation of standards in-so-far as it may relate to a

specific product or manufacturer is a proper matter for the individual company concerned and cannot
be undertaken by any person acting for the ESDA. The ESDA Standards Chairman may make
comments limited to an explanation or clarification of the technical language or provisions in a
standard, but not related to its application to specific products and manufacturers. No other person is
authorized to comment on behalf of the ESDA on any ESDA Standard.

THE CONTENTS OF ESDA’S STANDARDS AND PUBLICATIONS ARE PROVIDED “AS-IS,” AND
ESDA MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, OF ANY
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Published by:

Electrostatic Discharge Association

7900 Turin Road, Bldg. 3
Rome, NY 13440

Copyright © 2014 by ESD Association

All rights reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, in

an electronic retrieval system or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 1-58537-268-4
 ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014

(This foreword is not part of ESD Association Standard ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014)

FOREWORD
The single most important concept in the field of static control is grounding. Attaching all
electrically conductive and dissipative items in the workplace to ground allows built-up
electrostatic charges to equalize with ground potential. A grounded conductor (includes
dissipative items) cannot hold a static charge.
Electrically interconnecting all electrically conductive and dissipative items (bonding) allows
charge to equalize across these items without actual contact to ground. This provides static
control in areas where an actual connection to ground may not be accessible, such as in a field
service environment. Electrically bonded conductors and dissipative items share stored electrical
charge and therefore have no difference in electrical potential between them. Many types of
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) susceptible parts can be handled within a bonded system without
causing damage.
Grounding of conductors for static control purposes may not provide sufficient grounding for
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) reduction or control. Low impedance electrical connections
are required for EMI grounding and bonding while static grounding can be accomplished with
relatively high resistance in connection points as well as along the discharge path.
Users of this document need to consider the National Electric Code or other applicable laws and
electrical system designs and specifications in the country where an ESD control program plan is
being implemented.
1
This standard was originally approved on September 24, 1991 and was designated EOS/ESD-
S6.1-1991. ANSI/ESD S6.1-1999 was a reaffirmation, re-designation of EOS/ESD-S6.1-1991 and
approved on May 16, 1999. ANSI/ESD S6.1-2005 was a reaffirmation of ANSI/ESD S6.1-1999
and approved on June 12, 2005. ANSI/ESD S6.1-2009 was a reaffirmation of ANSI/ESD S6.1-
2005 and was approved on May 18, 2009. Two editorial changes were made in ANSI/ESD S6.1-
2009: edited one sentence removing the word “ground” from “groundable point ground”; and
added a clarification sentence in paragraph 7.2.2 to reinforce the point that the AC equipment
grounding conductor needs to be measured while evaluating systems with both AC equipment
ground and Auxiliary ground. ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014 is a revision of ANSI/ESD S6.1-2009 and was
approved on September 24, 2013.
At the time ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014 was prepared, the 6.0 Grounding Subcommittee had the
following members:

David E. Swenson, Chairperson

Affinity Static Control Consulting, L.L.C.

Ron Gibson John Kinnear, Jr.

Advanced Static Control Consulting IBM

The following individuals contributed to the development of ANSI/ESD S6.1-2005:

Thomas Albano Gene Monroe
Exelis, Inc. Geospatial Systems NASA LARC

1
ESD Association Standard (S): A precise statement of a set of requirements to be satisfied by a material,
product, system or process that also specifies the procedures for determining whether each of the
requirements is satisfied.

i
ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014

At the time ANSI/ESD S6.1-2009 was prepared, the 6.0 Grounding Subcommittee had the
following members:

David E. Swenson, Chairperson John Kinnear, Jr.

Affinity Static Control Consulting, L.L.C. IBM

At the time ANSI/ESD S6.1-2005 was prepared, the 6.0 Grounding Subcommittee had the
following members:

David E. Swenson, Chairperson

Affinity Static Control Consulting, L.L.C.

Steven Gerken Ronald Gibson John Kinnear, Jr.

United States Air Force Celestica International, Inc. IBM
Johanna Morris
Karen Yi
Components Intel
Lockheed Martin
de Costa Rica

The following individuals contributed to the development of ANSI/ESD S6.1-2005:

Arizona Chapter Harold K. Aronson Les Avery
ESD Association Work Surfaces Corporation Sarnoff Corporation
Godfrey (Ben)
Michael T. Brandt Stephen Halperin
Baumgartner
Marketing Resources, Ltd. SH&A
Lockheed
James Horvat Whitson Kirk Howard Myers
US Air Force Allied-Signal, Inc. Motorola

North Central Chapter Arvid Peterson Harley Richardson

ESD Association ECOS Electronics (Original Secretary) AT&T

Jeffrey Scanlon David Swenson Roy Walker

American Systems 3M SAR

ii
 ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014

At the time EOS/ESD-S6.1-1991 was prepared, the 6.0 Grounding Subcommittee had the
following members:
Bob Parr - Chairman
Motorola GEG

Lawrence Burich Melissa Feeney Charles E. Gerdel

Lockheed TAOS International Sacramento Army Depot

Steven Gerken Don Hyman Harry Jolliff, Secretary

US Air Force Storage Technology TRW

Raymond Kallman Mel Kamenir Stephen Koehn

Pilgrim Electric ITT Avionics 3M

Adrienne Kudlish Charles Miller (Alt) Dale Tucker

Digital Equipment US Air Force Flexco

Ed Weggeland Joel Weidendorf Anthony Wind, Jr.

Static Prevention IBM Wind Enterprises

John Winn
JES International

iii
ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014

Table of Contents

1.0 PURPOSE AND SCOPE......................................................................................................... 1

1.1 PURPOSE ............................................................................................................................. 1

1.2 SCOPE ................................................................................................................................. 1

2.0 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS ............................................................................................... 1

3.0 DEFINITION OF TERMS......................................................................................................... 1

4.0 PERSONNEL SAFETY ........................................................................................................... 2

5.0 TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................. 2

5.1 ESD GROUNDING/BONDING REFERENCE SYSTEMS ................................................................ 2

5.1.1 AC Equipment Ground ................................................................................................. 2
5.1.2 Auxiliary Ground........................................................................................................... 2
5.1.3 Equipotential Bonding .................................................................................................. 3
5.2 CONNECTIONS TO THE ESD GROUNDING/BONDING REFERENCE POINT .................................. 3
5.2.1 Common Point Ground ................................................................................................ 3
5.2.2 Auxiliary Ground System ............................................................................................. 5
5.2.3 Equipotential Bonding .................................................................................................. 5
5.3 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS ...................................................................................................... 6
5.3.1 Metal Bench Tops ........................................................................................................ 6
5.3.2 Isolated Ground Receptacles ....................................................................................... 6
5.3.3 ESD Technical Element Conductors............................................................................ 6
5.3.4 Vehicles ........................................................................................................................ 7
5.3.5 Mechanical Requirements ........................................................................................... 7

6.0 ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................ 7

6.1 INSTRUMENTATION ................................................................................................................ 7

6.1.1 DC Ohmmeter .............................................................................................................. 7
6.1.2 AC Circuit Tester (Impedance Meter) .......................................................................... 7
6.2 ESD GROUNDING SYSTEM VERIFICATION .............................................................................. 7
6.2.1 Equipment Grounding Conductor ................................................................................ 7
6.2.2 AC Equipment Ground and Auxiliary Ground Verification ........................................... 7
6.3 TECHNICAL ELEMENTS .......................................................................................................... 8
6.4 LEVEL 2 TECHNICAL ELEMENTS ........................................................................................... 10

7.0 TEST PROCEDURES ........................................................................................................... 10

7.1 RECEPTACLE W IRING VERIFICATION .................................................................................... 10

7.2 ESD GROUNDING/BONDING REFERENCE POINT TESTS ........................................................ 10
7.2.1 Facilities with AC Equipment Ground ........................................................................ 10
7.2.2 Facilities with AC Equipment Ground and Auxiliary Ground ..................................... 10
7.2.3 Field Service/Equipotential Bonding (Applications without AC Equipment Ground) . 11

iv
 ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014

ANNEXES
Annex A (Informative): ESD Grounding Considerations .............................................................. 12
Annex B (Informative): ANSI/ESD S6.1-2014 Revision History ................................................... 13

FIGURES
Figure 1: Common Point Ground Concept (Simple) ..................................................................... 3
Figure 1A: Basic EPA Grounding System with Common Point Ground ......................................... 4
Figure 1B: Common Point Ground (example only) ......................................................................... 4
Figure 2: Workstation with Two Common Point Grounds to an Auxiliary Ground ........................ 5
Figure 3: Typical Field Service Situation using Equipotential Bonding ........................................ 5
Figure 4: Isolated Ground Receptacle .......................................................................................... 6
Figure 5: Main Service Equipment, Single Phase ........................................................................ 8
Figure 6: Typical ESD Ground Connection and Main Service Equipment ................................... 8
Figure 7: Typical ESD Protective Workstation with Common Point Ground ................................ 9
Figure 8: Example of a Common Point Ground Resistance Measurement .................................. 9