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I just picked up a face shield for in person labs and was wondering if it is ESD safe. In this scenario I'd be wearing a ESD strap, but it seems like the plastic is isolated with foam and an elastic strap. Attached is a picture of the shield and it's claim of "Anti-Static". I'm not sure if anti-static refers to dissipative or the flat prevention of an electrical charge. Below are pictures of the face shield in question.

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    \$\begingroup\$ No, they are not. I do not believe that anti-fog ESD safe label either. \$\endgroup\$
    – DKNguyen
    Commented Jan 7, 2021 at 20:31
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    \$\begingroup\$ There is no "standard" facemask, so asking a question like this about facemasks in general really makes no sense. As with most similar questions here the best advice is read the datasheet. \$\endgroup\$
    – Elliot Alderson
    Commented Jan 7, 2021 at 21:17
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    \$\begingroup\$ Try rubbing it against your hair to see if it makes your hair stand up. On the other hand, are you sure it needs to be static safe? Maybe it is OK since it is entirely composed of dielectric material and not likely to actually touch any electronics. \$\endgroup\$
    – user57037
    Commented Jan 7, 2021 at 21:45
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    \$\begingroup\$ Technically not ESD safe. How far away will it be from boards and components? One foot or more, probably OK. \$\endgroup\$
    – Mattman944
    Commented Jan 7, 2021 at 21:55
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    \$\begingroup\$ @mkeith Good idea, I rubbed against my cat's fur (my hair is a bit too thick) and fur stood up. Cat was mildly confused yet somewhat pleased with the experiment. \$\endgroup\$
    – Yet Another Michael
    Commented Jan 7, 2021 at 22:04

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From the comments I have determined that this face shield is not ESD-safe. Most convincing evidence was that when the shield was rubbed on fur, a charge was accumulated and stored.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm not certain this is a relevant test, or what you are trying to prove. What esd testing standards have you researched that applies to equipment intended to be worn on technician body? Why invent an ad hoc test when there are plenty of standards out there that can be referenced. \$\endgroup\$
    – crasic
    Commented Jan 9, 2021 at 1:21
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    \$\begingroup\$ @crasic am not sure it is a comprehensive or perfect test. But it is certainly a relevant test. Rubbing plastic on hair or fur is a way to test if a material is capable of triboelectric charging. ESD safe plastics are formulated to reduce or eliminate triboelectric charging. Thus the definitive property of ESD safe plastics is being tested. I guess what is missing from the test is any quantitative measure of charging. It is more binary (yes/no) and subject to the judgement of the observer. \$\endgroup\$
    – user57037
    Commented Jan 9, 2021 at 21:01

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