HOW TO TEST YOUR ECOTILE ESD FLOOR WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO ACHIEVE? We would recommend that all customers try to ensure that they achieve and maintain a floor that meets the internationally recognised standard ISO 61340/5. This standard has British (BS), European (EN/DIN) and USA (ASTM) equivalents that require the same performance for surface resistance and resistance to ground. Surface Resistance Using the appropriate test equipment test the floor across two or more tiles and take a minimum of 9 readings across random spots across the floor. Calculate the average reading from your tests to get an accurate surface resistance reading. Advice and Guidance: Surface Resistivity and Resistance to Ground: Use the correct test equipment Use test weights and not probes to test the floor, the probes do not provide sufficient surface contact to provide an accurate reading Wrong test method Do not use prong contacts to test the floor, insufficient surface contact. Correct Test Method Use weights or suitable test plate to ensure good surface contact.
Surface Resistance Wrong test method Avoid testing solely from the centre of the tiles as this will give a false / inaccurate reading. Correct Test Method - Test across 9 random points across the floor, take an average reading from the 9 results to give you your floor reading. Resistance to Ground The Floor Correct Test Method 1 - Test from the floor first to your grounding point to test the resistance to ground of the floor Target Resistance to be less than 1 x 10 E6. i.e. Suitable for use within an EPA zone / electronics manufacturing facility Correct Test Method 2 - Test from the floor next to your grounding point to test the resistance to ground of the floor via the grounding cord with the 1meg resistor Target Resistance to be between 1 x 10 E6 and 3.5 x 10 x E7. i.e. The safety zone in the event of an electrical short circuit.
Resistance to Ground of the SYSTEM To measure the resistance to ground of the system (the combination of the person, footwear and floor) hold one probe in the palm of your hand, connect the other probe to your grounding point and test. The results should be from 1 x 10 6 or 1 Meg and not exceed 3.5 x 10 7 or 35Meg. Walking Test / Human Body Model Test for tribo-electric charging, to see the approximate body voltage electrical charges generated on the human body while walking or moving across floor use a static field meter whilst wearing the appropriate footwear & test what body voltage is created. The voltage should not exceed 100V
RECOMMENDED CLEANING METHODS ESD & ANTI-STATIC PRODUCT RANGE Failure to maintain ecotile flooring in accordance with recommended procedure can affect the performance of the product. Please ensure that you have the health and safety data sheet for any cleaner or polish you intend to use. The latest version of the relevant data sheet can be downloaded from www.ecotileflooring.com. Initial Clean / Heavy Duty Cleaning - ECOTILE ESD & ANTI-STATIC USE STATGAUARD FLOOR STRIPPER For the initial clean or when a heavy deep clean is required use ecotile s Statgaurd Floor Stripper. Apply Statgaurd Floor Stripper in dilution (refer to product data sheet) and allow it to take effect for 10 to 20 minutes and then clean with clean water using a suitable pad or alternatively a scrubbing brush. Completely vacuum up the dirty wash solution and rinse the surface thoroughly with clear water. It is always recommended to work only on partial areas in order to avoid drying. Product: Statgaurd Floor Stripper - 75.00 per 10 litres / Coverage: 25/m² per litre Routine Cleaning - ECOTILE ESD & ANTI-STATIC USE STATGAUARD CLEANER DISSIPATIVE NEUTRAL FLOOR Manual Cleaning 1. Sweep or vacuum up dust and dirt, remove large debris 2. Apply Statgaurd Dissipative Neutral floor cleaner to the floor in the correct dilution and leave for several minutes to breakdown the dirt. (The dilution rate depends on how dirty the floor is. As a guide for day to day cleaning we recommend for manual cleaning a 0.5% solution (25ml per 5 litres of water), for medium duty cleaning 1% dilution (500ml per 5 litres of water) up to 2.5% dilution for areas that need a heavy duty clean (250ml per 5 litres of water) 3. Scrub the floor with a deck scrubber, micro fibre mop or suitable cleaning pad (green or blue). 4. Rinse the floor with clean water, removing the dirty water from the floor with a mop and allow to dry. Use a double bucket to ensure the floor is rinsed well with clean water. Mechanical Cleaning (Rotary Scrubber Dryers) 1. Sweep or vacuum up dust and dirt, remove large debris 2. Use Statgaurd Dissipative Neutral floor cleaner mixed with clean water. 3. Proper dosage saves money and makes cleaning easier. As a guide for day to day cleaning we recommend adding a 0.5% solution (25ml per 5 litres of water), for medium duty cleaning 1% dilution (500ml per 5 litres of water) up to 2.5% dilution for areas that need a heavy duty clean (250ml per 5 litres of water) 4. Mechanically scrub the floor using either a green or blue pad at no more than 400rpm or for cylindrical rotary scrubber dryers use soft bristle brushes. 5. Wet vacuum the residue and then rinse the floor with warm clean water and vacuum dry. Product: Statgaurd Dissipative Neutral floor cleaner - 75.00 per 10 Litres / Coverage: 400 to 500m² per litre
Heavy Duty Spot Cleaning - ALL ECOTILE PRODUCTS USE ECOTILE EVO3 STUBBORN STAIN WIPES Ecotile EVO3 Stubborn Stain Wipes are an environmentally friendly and extremely effective spot cleaner perfect for removing, oil, grease, wet paint and inks, bitumen and tar. Supplied in a handy bucket the wipes are ready to use and perfect for cleaning stubborn, oily or greasy stains and residue from ecotile or any smooth surfaces. Product: EVO3 Neutralizer Wipes - Order No: 46.500 Packaging: Bucket - Price: 39.50 + VAT Surface Treatments - Polishes & Sealers (Optional) USE STATGAURD STATIC DISSIPATIVE FLOOR FINISH Apply ecotile s STATGAURD STATIC DISSIPATIVE FLOOR FINISH undiluted 2 to 3 times thinly and uniformly on the clean, stripped and dry floor. Make sure to allow sufficient drying time between applications (30 minutes to 2 hours dependent on temperature and humidity). Usage per application: approx. 2 litres per 100m2. The care layer can be polished with highspeed machines after complete drying. Maintenance / Coating refreshing: Minor damages to the care layer as well as traffic tracks and paths can be removed with green care FLOOR POLISH (1:3 dilution with water) in spray cleaner method with a high-speed machine (800-1000 rpm) and without the pad. Product: STATGAURD STATIC DISSIPATIVE FLOOR FINISH - 75.00 per 10 Litres / Coverage 50m² per litre Tips for successful maintenance of ecotile interlocking floor tiles: Develop a regular cleaning programme suited to the usage and traffic of the area - heavily trafficked or highly visible areas need to be cleaned more often than areas which are seldom used, or where appearance is less important. The best and most cost effective method of cleaning ecotile is by machine. Care should be taken to select the correct pad: medium pads soft nylon or polypropylene brushes. Remember that dirty equipment, particularly mops, does not clean but merely redistributes the dirt. Use recommended cleaning chemicals - use only recommended cleaning liquids or their equivalent in the correct concentration. Do not mix cleaning liquids, and always follow the manufacturer s instructions. Do not use cleaner containing pine oil. Remove scuff marks regularly - to remove any rubber heel marks by abrasion use the correct machine pad, or scrub by hand, using scouring powder. For areas requiring renovation due to neglect or heavy soiling use green care stripper. Protect newly laid floors - all newly laid safety floor surfaces should be covered and protected from all other trades during the contract with a suitable non-staining protective covering. General notes concerning staining: Some materials are known to cause staining on vinyl floors. Typical examples include: Asphalt and bitumen materials, Cardboard/Hardboard (wet), Dyes from printed literature or packaging, Rubber tyres, Rubberbacked carpets and rubber mats, Rubber furniture rests and trolley wheels, Shoe soles not made from non-staining materials, Heat degradation. High quality cleaning chemicals and equipment ensure efficient maintenance and represent only a small proportion of maintenance costs. For further information please contact (+44) 01582 788232