Dave Long

A common ESD flooring assumption gets the physics backwards — and it could be steering facilities toward the wrong resistance category entirely. Drawing on decades-old Bell Labs research, this piece traces exactly where a CDM event actually begins, and why flooring resistance alone won't protect against it.

Overconfidence in basic ESD testing can create dangerous blind spots. Three case studies reveal how standard floor resistance tests miss critical system failures when mobile equipment loses electrical contact, exposing sensitive electronics to static damage despite apparent compliance.