Working with ESD Standards

There are several ESD standards in current usage, including EN100015, EN61340-5-1, and ANSI/ESD 20:20.

EN61340-5-1has now superceded EN100015, and is the main standard in Europe. ANSI/ESD 20:20 is mainly used in North America. Manufacturers still using EN10015 should update to 61340-5-1 as soon as convenient.

Tailoring the ESD Programme

Many manufacturers need to work with both 61340-5-1 and ESD20:20, and sometimes also with other standards. Fortunately, these are largely compatible and it is quite possible to specify an ESD Programme which is compliant with both 61340-5-1 and ESD 20:20.

Secondly, it's often the case that all aspects of a standard such as 61340-5-1 are not required in a particular facility. It is quite permissible under 61340-5-1 to implement only those parts appropriate for the facility and operations in use. Tailoring must be carefully done on technical grounds, and must be well documented to facilitate ESD training and auditing. It's often advisable to write an in-house ESD Programme document.