I think the system you described is scary.
Increased humidity merely reduces the voltage of the ESD event to levels
that cannot be felt. But, we can only feel discharges of about 2500
volts or higher (depending on what part of the body experiences the
discharge).
I recommend a little text book by Van Nostrand Reinhold called ESD
Program Management: A Realistic Approach to Continuous Measurable
Improvement in Static Control by G. Theodore Dangelmayere. Second
eddtion Published in 1999. This text is avaliable from  the ESD
Association. http://www.esda.org/publications.html#books

That said the answer to your question is, it depends. Mostly, on the
susceptibility levels of the components that you are using. A table in
the referenced text suggests that Antistatic smocks are special controls
perhaps required to provide protection for unusual hazards. For
components of Class 0 or Class 1 or where hazards cannot be eliminated
because of process requirements.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Marsico, James
> Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2002 8:00 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [TN] ESD ISSUE
>
>
> Good day Technetters:
>
> I need some opinions (this may be asking for trouble!).
> Located in the north east, temperature/humidity levels can
> change on a daily basis.  It has been our policy that, during
> summer months when the humidity is high, the operators do not
> have to wear ESD smocks in areas that are not air
> conditioned.  There is no hard fast rule as to what the
> conditions shall be, except that a decision is made (by yours
> truly) that smocks are optional when conditions are
> uncomfortable.  I'm trying to select a specific humidity
> level to use as a criteria for the mandatory wearing of
> smocks.  I understand that not wearing ESD smocks poses a
> risk, but the risk is minimized during high humidity
> conditions.  What do you think of this policy?  Any
> recommendations on a humidity level?
>
> Thanks,
> Jim Marsico
> Senior Engineer
> Production Engineering
> EDO Electronics Systems Group
> [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> 631-595-5879
>
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