Avoiding the static electric danger posed by inadequate or inappropriate footwear worn by workers in a hazardous area is made simple and sure by the Sole-Mate® footwear tester from Newson Gale Inc. While the energy level produced by the buildup of static electricity on a person wearing non-dissipative shoes is relatively modest, several milli-joules, this is many times the level of static discharge needed to ignite most solvent vapors and more than enough to ignite sensitive dust clouds. And with non-conforming footwear this can happen even in a facility where the floor is suitably conductive.

The Sole-Mate footwear tester operates by testing the path of resistance from a floor plate through the soles of a worker’s shoes to their finger. Testing of footwear and personnel grounding devices are recommended by NFPA and CENELEC static control guidelines. Footwear for use in most hazardous areas is required by U.S and European standards to exhibit an upper  esistance of 1 x 10 9 ohms.

Footwear for use in many electronics facilities are, however, required to meet entirely different resistance parameters acording to ANSI and EN standards. Footwear and test units designed for electronics facilities, then, should not be used for other industrial applications.

Typically, the Sole-Mate testing station is located at the entrance to a hazardous area and workers are given a quick “pass” or “fail” reading in seconds, quite painlessly. The “fail” readings are emphasized by a bright light indicator and a shrill sound-warning. The unit can also be used to test static-dissipative gloves with equal effectiveness.

A calibration module is available for performing, usually, annual confirmation of accuracy and a Sole-Mate version with an integral doorway interlock makes it possible for the system to prevent access to a hazardous area without a “pass” reading on the tester.

The testing module itself is water and dust tight, and calibrated to NAMAS standards. A station is easy to install and connects directly to 110-volt source. (230-volt models are also available.)

The Sole-Mate footwear tester is just part of the Cenelectrex® range of static grounding and bonding equipment available from Newson Gale Inc., the Lakewood, NJ based specialists in static control for hazardous areas.

For additional information, contact: Newson Gale Inc., 1072 Madison Ave., Lakewood, NJ 08701.
Phone: 732-987-7715. E-Mail: info@newson-gale.com. Website: www.newson-gale.com