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Anti-Static Flooring Guide: How to Choose the Right ESD Floor

Static electricity is a small problem until it isn’t. One spark can shut down production, damage sensitive electronics, corrupt data, or – depending on the environment – cause a serious safety incident. If you already know you need anti-static flooring but aren’t sure which type fits your facility, you’re in the right place. This guide breaks down the essentials so you can make a confident, informed decision when choosing the right ESD flooring.

Step 1: When Do You Need Anti-Static Flooring?

Before you look at specifications or materials, you need clarity on whether ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) flooring is required (based on risk, and sometimes regulations). Anti-static flooring is important when static electricity could:

Damage sensitive electronic components
Disrupt production workflows or processes
Ignite flammable vapours, dust, or gases
Compromise sterile or controlled environments
Create a safety hazard.

Electronics manufacturing is perhaps the most obvious example. If you’re running a busy electronics production or assembly line where sensitive components are handled daily, even a small static discharge can damage microchips or circuit boards worth thousands of pounds. Pharmaceutical or semiconductor facilities require strict ESD control to maintain sterile conditions. Other examples include:

Explosive or ATEX-classified environments: Chemical plants, fuel storage areas, or powder-handling facilities are at higher ignition risk.
Cleanrooms and labs: Static attracts dust and microbes, interfering with contamination control.
Medical settings: Imaging equipment, diagnostic machinery and surgical tools in operating theatres can all be affected by electrical discharge.
Data centres: Server rooms where static discharge could damage critical IT infrastructure.
Aerospace manufacturing: Facilities handling sensitive avionics or fuel systems.

If your building falls into any of these categories, you likely need more than basic suppression – you need a properly designed ESD floor.

Step 2: What Level of ESD Protection Do You Need?

Not all static-control flooring is built to the same standard. One of the biggest mistakes buyers make is assuming all anti-static floors do the same job (they don’t). There are two broad categories…

Static dissipative flooring

Static dissipative flooring provides static suppression. It reduces static build-up but doesn’t totally control or eliminate discharge (just slows it down). It’s best for settings where you need to minimise static generation, i.e. general commercial areas, retail spaces with electronic displays, packaging rooms, or light manufacturing areas.

Anti-static / ESD flooring (electrostatic discharge control)

Anti-static or ESD flooring actively channels static electricity to ground through conductive pathways built into the flooring material. It’s a controlled pathway for safe dissipation – ideal if you’re dealing with highly sensitive equipment or explosive atmospheres.

To put it in context:

If you’re running a busy electronics production line where a single static event could ruin an entire batch, you need a properly grounded ESD floor.
If you’re operating a low-risk processing area with occasional equipment contact, static dissipative flooring may be enough.

When in doubt, ESD is the safer choice. You can also consult a specialist like Impact Flooring to assess your static risks and recommend appropriate protection levels.

Step 3: ESD Flooring for Daily Wear

Maintaining the conductivity of your anti-static floor throughout its lifespan is critical, so think about how daily operations are likely to impact its performance. The main factors that will affect the flooring’s durability include:

Constant foot traffic
Mechanical stress, e.g. heavy wheeled equipment, rolling loads, forklifts or pallet trucks, and dropped tools
Other impacts and abrasion from daily operations.

If you’re dealing with constant forklift traffic in a warehouse, your anti-static flooring needs to resist abrasion whilst maintaining its conductive properties. In this case, a high-build resin that won’t mark or wear through would be appropriate. Surface wear can compromise ESD performance, making durability critical for protection and longevity.

Step 4: Consider Your Environment

Environmental conditions have a big influence on which ESD system will perform best long-term. Certain materials handle environmental conditions better than others. Think about:

Humidity levels: Low humidity increases the risk of static build-up, especially in climate-controlled areas.
Temperature swings: Temperature variations can cause expansion and contraction – some facilities (e.g., cold storage) may need a thermally stable resin.
Chemical exposure: Solvents, cleaning agents, oils, process chemicals, acids, and accidental spills can break down cheaper flooring materials.

A pharmaceutical facility with aggressive cleaning agents is better suited to polyurethane resin than carpet tiles, for example..

Step 5: Anti-Static Flooring Materials: Resin vs. Tile Systems

Now you can narrow down your options. Resin flooring gives the most reliable long-term performance for ESD control, but it isn’t the only choice…

ESD resin systems

Resin flooring can incorporate conductive materials like carbon or copper, which safely discharge electricity through the floor. Whether it’s a light coating or a heavy-duty screed, resin floors stop static from building up and meet BS 2050 standards.

Epoxy resin:

Excellent conductivity
Strong mechanical resistance
Superior durability
Ideal for electronics, labs, and manufacturing lines.

Polyurethane (PU) resin:

Excellent chemical and thermal cycling resistance
Performs well in wet and hygienic environments
Ideal for food, pharmaceutical and heavy industrial facilities.

Anti-static resin systems also offer seamless installation, eliminating joints where dirt and contaminants could accumulate. This makes them particularly suitable for cleanroom environments or facilities with strict hygiene requirements because the smooth, non-porous surface is very easy to clean.

Rubber, vinyl and carpet tiles

Other flooring materials can offer static dissipation, but usually with compromises:

Rubber tiles: Good grounding, but the seams can trap dirt or moisture.
Vinyl tiles: A low-cost option, but adhesives can fail, and conductivity may deteriorate over time.
Carpet tiles: Used in offices and control rooms, but durability is limited, and carpet tiles aren’t ideal for wet or hygienic conditions.

Tile systems are ideal for office environments or light-duty areas, but typically don’t stand up to heavy industrial use. For sensitive environments (and many compliance regulations), resin is the most reliable anti-static system.

Choosing the Right ESD Flooring

Static issues aren’t something to gamble with. If static electricity poses genuine risks to your operations, equipment or people, resin systems consistently offer the best grounding performance for electrostatic discharge and long-term durability. Impact Flooring has decades of experience installing anti-static and ESD flooring for high-risk sectors, including electronics, pharmaceuticals, cleanrooms, and chemical processing. Contact us today to discuss your anti-static flooring requirements.