EN 1149 - Antistatic Work Clothing
The EN 1149 standard is a European standard that addresses the electrostatic properties of protective clothing. The purpose of this standard is to ensure the safety of people working in environments with a high risk of electrostatic discharge (ESD), such as the electronics, chemical, or pharmaceutical industries.
Electrostatic discharges can be dangerous and may cause fires or explosions in the presence of flammable substances or gases. For these reasons, it is important that workers in such environments wear protective clothing that shields them from electrostatic charges.
The EN 1149 standard consists of several parts, each of which sets specific requirements for protective clothing:
- EN 1149-1: This part evaluates the surface resistance of the protective clothing material. A low surface resistance means the material is more effective at dissipating electrostatic charges.
- EN 1149-2: This part measures the volume resistivity of the material. It determines how well the material can conduct electrical current through its thickness, which helps dissipate electrostatic charges.
- EN 1149-3: This part evaluates the charge transfer of the material. It measures the rate at which the electrostatic charge is dissipated or distributed across the surface of the material.
- EN 1149-4: This part evaluates the performance of protective clothing in an electrostatic field test. It determines how well the clothing protects the wearer from the effects of an external electrostatic field.
- EN 1149-5: This part specifies the requirements for the design and performance of protective clothing that helps prevent electrostatic charging. It sets out general requirements for garments that comply with the preceding parts of the standard.
Protective clothing that complies with the EN 1149 standard is also referred to as “antistatic clothing” and helps minimize the risk of electrostatic discharges and the associated hazards.