Army conductive-floor requirements under DA Pam 385-64

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Where Floors Are Required and How They Are Built

DA Pam 385-64, Ammunition and Explosives Safety Standards (24 July 2023), sets the Army’s requirements for conductive floors and footwear in explosives operations. It covers floor construction and grounding, daily visual inspections, and electrical testing at installation, renovation, and at least every six months thereafter.

Table 16-1 lists a resistance range of 25 kΩ to 1 MΩ for conductive surfaces. Appendix E-3 gives the measurement procedures and separate limits for averages and individual readings.

For guides organized by other authorities and operations, see our hazardous-area flooring and static-control hub.

Where conductive floors and footwear are required

Sensitivity: 0.1 joules or less

DA Pam 385-64 requires conductive non-sparking floors where certain exposed explosives and materials sensitive to uncontrolled static discharge are present. Conductive floors, plates, mats, and runners must be used with conductive footwear at operations involving items and materials with an electrostatic sensitivity of 0.1 joules or less.

Where the hazard is localized, conductive mats or runners may be used where appropriate instead of flooring the entire room or building. They remain subject to all conductive-floor specifications and tests. See the requirements for conductive mats and runners used for localized hazards.

Floor construction and grounding

For a new installation or renovation, DA Pam 385-64 requires:

A surface free from cracks and reasonably smooth.
Surface material that does not slough off, wrinkle, or buckle under operating conditions.
Compatibility between the floor and the materials to be processed.

The pamphlet does not recommend conductive tiles where explosives dust can cause contamination. Our guide to conductive tiles in explosives-dust areas explains the joint and cleaning concerns behind that recommendation.

Bonding the floor to ground

Standard: NFPA 70, Article 250

Conductive floors must be bonded to the earth electrode subsystem, using bonding material selected in accordance with NFPA 70, Article 250. On former Naval installations, the floor must be bonded to the secondary ground girdle, with bonding material likewise selected under Article 250.

The combination of conductive floors and shoes provides a static-charge dissipation path to the earth electrode subsystem. Equipment touching a conductive floor or tabletop must not be considered grounded solely because it sits on that surface.

Inspection and Resistance Testing

Inspection and testing schedule

Source: Table 16-1
Floors: Tested every 6 months

DA Pam 385-64, Table 16-1, Grounding system inspection and test intervals and requirements, specifies:

Component	Visual inspection	Electrical test	Required resistance listed in Table 16-1
Conductive floors, mats, tabletops, plates, and runners	Daily before use	Every 6 months	25 kΩ to 1 MΩ
Conductive footwear in use, on the wearer	Daily before use	Daily before use	25 kΩ to 1 MΩ

The table’s summary range should be read with the configuration-specific acceptance limits in Appendix E-3 below.

Clear the area before testing

Electrical floor tests may be conducted only when the room or area is free of exposed explosives and/or flammable gas mixtures. Conductive-shoe tests must not be performed in rooms where exposed explosives are present.

Floor resistance measurements under Appendix E-3

Source: Appendix E-3

Acceptance requirement	Two-electrode test	One-electrode-to-ground test
Average of five readings	More than 25,000 ohms and less than 1,000,000 ohms	Greater than 25,000 ohms
Each individual reading	At least 10,000 ohms and no more than 5,000,000 ohms	At least 10,000 ohms and no more than 1,000,000 ohms

Both the average and individual limits apply. See how the Army’s average and individual-reading limits work together, including the different individual upper limits for the two test configurations.

In-Service Condition and Footwear

In-service condition and cleaning

Source: Appendix E-2

DA Pam 385-64 requires conductive floors to remain clean, dry, and free of nonconductive material. Appendix E-2 specifies that floors, mats, and runners must be free of paint or other nonconductive coatings.

Soaps, detergents, and solvents that leave a residue must not be used to clean conductive floors. Sweeping compounds containing wax or oil are also prohibited. The conductive-floor wax and residue guide compares the Army provision with the differently worded DoD restrictions.

Footwear requirements and restrictions

Testing: Daily before use

Personnel working on conductive flooring, mats, or runners must wear non-sparking conductive footwear. Table 16-1 requires conductive footwear in use to be visually inspected and electrically tested on the wearer daily before use.

Personnel working on electrical equipment or facilities must not wear conductive-sole safety shoes or other conductive footwear.

See the Army and DoD restrictions on conductive footwear during electrical work for the source-specific provisions.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Craftsman Concrete Floors specializes in installing conductive floors for explosives operations, including projects specified under DA Pam 385-64, Ammunition and Explosives Safety Standards.

DA Pam 385-64 (24 July 2023) requires conductive floors to be tested at installation, at renovation, and at least every six months thereafter. Table 16-1 separately calls for visual inspection daily before use.

Yes. DA Pam 385-64 (24 July 2023) requires conductive floors, plates, mats, and runners to be used with conductive footwear at operations involving items and materials with an electrostatic sensitivity of 0.1 joules or less. Personnel working on conductive flooring, mats, or runners must wear non-sparking conductive footwear.

No. DA Pam 385-64 (24 July 2023) says equipment in contact with conductive floors or tabletops must not be considered grounded solely because it sits on those surfaces.

No. DA Pam 385-64 (24 July 2023) permits electrical floor tests only when the room or area is free of exposed explosives and/or flammable gas mixtures. It also prohibits conductive-shoe tests in rooms where exposed explosives are present.