ANSI/ESD STM97.1-2025 provides a procedure for evaluating footwear/flooring system resistance before the flooring is installed (section 6.1). It measures the electrical path through a person wearing footwear and standing on representative flooring samples, referred to as specimens in STM97.1.
The evaluation requires preparation of the proposed flooring assembly, selection of footwear, controlled conditioning, floor-resistance baseline measurements and person-system measurements.
Craftsman Concrete helps facility ESD program teams coordinate testing responsibilities and review supporting qualification and closeout documentation.
What should the project team identify before testing?
The flooring assembly and intended footwear
The test samples must represent the flooring system as it will be installed, including its relevant components. For adhesive-installed tile, those components include the tile, adhesive, grounding system and installation substrate. Testing a different assembly may produce different results.
STM97.1-2025 recommends using footwear intended for use with the flooring after installation. If several footwear types are planned, it recommends evaluating the other types under section 6.1 before installation.
The samples and footwear pairs to supply
Section 6.1.1 requires at least three flooring samples and three pairs of footwear, with the pairs labeled 1 to 3. The sample and footwear requirements explain sample dimensions, seams and grounding arrangements.
What must the testing schedule allow?
Assembly preparation, cleaning and conditioning
The samples are mounted on the specified substrate according to the manufacturer’s instructions, including applicable curing and installation requirements. Cleaning follows the material-specific procedures in section 6.1.3.
After cleaning, the footwear and flooring samples require at least 72 hours of preconditioning at 12% ± 3% relative humidity and 23 °C ± 3 °C. They remain in that environment until testing is complete.
The 72-hour minimum does not guarantee that every material has reached moisture equilibrium. Informative Annex B notes that some hygroscopic materials may take longer. The moisture and conditioning guidance explains that distinction.
Which measurements must the plan cover?
Floor baseline and person-system resistance
Before the person-system measurements, the resistance of each flooring sample to each groundable point is measured using the incorporated STM7.1 procedure and the electrode locations prescribed in STM97.1 Figure 1.
The person-system measurements then include both feet, the left foot and the right foot in contact with the flooring. The procedure covers the required flooring samples, footwear pairs and groundable points.
The section 6.1 testing procedure covers the measurement sequence, voltage selection, reading times and equipment requirements.
What documentation should be arranged before testing?
Qualification records and supporting reports
Section 6.1.5 requires the report to identify the flooring components, footwear, testing organization, measurement equipment and method. It also requires the test date, temperature, relative humidity, conditioning duration, measured data and specified resistance summaries.
The section 6.1 procedure and reporting requirements distinguish required report contents from recommended additions.
Before commissioning the evaluation, confirm who will prepare the samples, supply the footwear, perform the testing and deliver the report. Give the testing organization the proposed assembly and footwear information so the documentation can identify what was actually evaluated.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Section 6.1 evaluates representative flooring samples before installation. Measurements on the completed floor are a separate testing stage and should be identified separately in the project plan and records.
That value describes STM97.1-2025’s intended system-resistance measurement range; the method’s scope does not itself establish a passing criterion. Qualification under an ESD program also requires applying the program’s governing requirements. The S20.20 qualification requirements explain the separate resistance and body-voltage criteria.