A supplier’s under-15 V body-voltage claim on an ESD flooring data sheet applies to the footwear conditions stated on that sheet. It does not establish the same result with ordinary shoes or every footwear type used in a facility.
Craftsman Concrete is an authorized installer of Sherwin-Williams High Performance Flooring, PIP and Sika ESD flooring systems. We help facilities review manufacturer data sheets and supporting test documentation, coordinate applicable manufacturer warranties, and determine whether additional footwear/flooring system testing is needed.
Before relying on the advertised figure, identify the footwear types the facility will use and determine whether the supplier’s supporting evidence applies to those footwear and flooring combinations.
Which footwear do the supplier claims specify?
Conductive or ESD-compliant footwear
Each of the following data sheets states its body-voltage figure together with a footwear condition.
| Data sheet | Stated body-voltage figure | Stated footwear condition |
|---|---|---|
| PIP 200 ESD Conductive UR | Body voltage generation below 15 V | Conductive footwear |
| PIP 100 ESD HB | Body voltage generation below 15 V | Conductive footwear |
| Sikafloor-200 ESD | Body voltage generation under 15 V per ANSI/ESD 97.2, as written on the sheet | ESD-compliant footwear |
| Sikafloor-2350 ESD NA | Body voltage generation under 15 V per ANSI/ESD 97.2, as written on the sheet | ESD-compliant footwear |
The figure describes performance with the stated footwear condition, rather than the floor alone.
What must the facility establish?
Qualification applies to each footwear and flooring type combination
For a footwear/flooring system used for personnel grounding, ANSI/ESD S20.20-2021 requires qualification of each footwear and flooring type combination used by the organization. Both Table 2 limits must be met:
- System resistance below 1.0 × 10⁹ ohms under ANSI/ESD STM97.1.
- Peak body voltage below 100 volts under ANSI/ESD STM97.2.
A supplier’s under-15 V figure is numerically below the body-voltage limit, but the supporting evidence must apply to the combination being qualified and the required test conditions. It also does not supply the separate system-resistance result.
The S20.20 footwear/flooring qualification requirements explain how the two tests apply.
Identify the footwear before requesting supporting evidence
List the footwear types intended for use with each flooring type. Request supporting documentation identifying the tested combinations, test methods, results, applicable limits and environmental conditioning.
A broad description such as “conductive footwear” or “ESD-compliant footwear” does not identify the particular footwear type tested. The facility’s ESD program team needs enough information to determine whether the evidence covers the combinations it intends to use.
Craftsman’s testing and closeout documentation distinguishes floor-resistance reports from separately assigned footwear/flooring system-resistance and walking-body-voltage reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The cited PIP data sheets specify conductive footwear, and the cited Sika sheets specify ESD-compliant footwear. Their under-15 V statements do not establish that result with ordinary shoes.
The cited S20.20-2021 requirement applies to each footwear and flooring type combination used by the organization. It does not state that every individual pair requires separate product qualification. Routine footwear and flooring verification remains a separate part of the facility’s ESD program.
Request the footwear type used in the test, the measured results and the test conditions. Compare that information with the footwear and flooring combinations planned for the facility before relying on the advertised body-voltage figure.