How cleaning can create static, why it matters around live equipment, and the habits and equipment that keep it under control.
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden flow of static charge between two objects. A discharge too small to feel can still damage sensitive electronics. Cleaning creates more friction than most activities in a data center — mops on floors, cloths on surfaces, dust in vacuum hoses — so it has to be done with static in mind.
Where static comes from during cleaning
- Dust and air moving quickly through a non-conductive vacuum hose
- Synthetic clothing and footwear on the move
- Plastic packaging and bags brought into the room
- Very dry air, which lets charge build up more easily
How it is controlled
- ESD-safe, grounded vacuums and static-dissipative tools
- Anti-static workwear and footwear
- Cleaning products that do not leave an insulating film on static-dissipative floors
- No plastic bags or packaging opened in the white space
- Only exterior surfaces cleaned; energized components are never touched
The industry reference for an ESD control program is ANSI/ESD S20.20. A cleaning contractor working in critical spaces should be able to explain how its equipment and practices follow the same principles.
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