Every day, when you touch conductive items, small sparks are produced that can t be felt yet have enough energy to damage electronics. A charge separation. And two associated conductors that collect charge and are brought together initiating the discharge. Designers have figured out that it takes a spark to have ESD, so modern electronic products now have their conductive shielding layers buried in insulating plastic. What to keep out of your work area Static generators One way to prevent ESD is to prevent static build up from occurring.
Plastics when moved are worst and most common static generators.
This means plastic bags, vinyl report covers, white foam packing material, clear plastic wrappers, clear bubble wrap, Formica table tops, carpeting, plastic bins and packing tape have to go or be treated with an anti-static dip or spray. There are also anti-static plastics. These plastics won t form a static charge on them because of special additives in the plastic. Pink polyethylene bags are a common example. The gray metallic looking bags should be avoided unless the metalized layer is buried in plastic to keep it from generating a spark.