Evaluating your facility for ESD risks

Step 1. Review your facility against your ESD Programme

If you haven't reviewed your facility recently, then that's proabably a good place to start. Review it against the up-to-date standard 61340-5-1, or your in-house ESD Programme. Check specifically for;

• Realistic, well specified and documented ESD Programme
• Regular and effective ESD Training programme
• Regular programme of checks on the ESD status of the facility and procedures
• Correct packaging of sensitive devices outside ESD Protected Areas (EPAs)
• Clear definition of EPAs and their boundaries
• Insulating materials which should not be present in the EPA
• Non-compliant equipment in EPAs
• Failed or out-of-spec equipment or facilities
• New facilities in which ESD may not have been adequately considered
• Use of new sensitive components, which may not be adequately protected by exisiting measures

Step 2. Review your ESD Programme

Review of your facility may have brought to light inadequacies in your ESD Programme. If this is an in-house document, is this according to the latest standard, appropriate to your facilities and processes, and the sensitivity of the devices you handle?

Step 3. Take remedial action

Make a realistic plan for implementing remedial actions. Prioritise for high risk and high importance actions - make sure these happen first!

As a top priority, make sure that;

• there's a regular programme of checks and review in place to monitor the state of the facility
• adequate training is provided for all involved personnel.