I'm trying to get an idea about industry practice, how often 
heel strap testing is performed.

An outside auditor has questioned our practice of testing 
heel straps just once a day.  Operators wear a strap on each
foot, and test each individually.  We require operators to remove 
the straps if they leave the building, but we don't require 
them to retest when they put them back on, and there lies
the objection.

Our position is that the primary purpose of testing is to verify the
integrity of the equipment, to make sure that the straps 
haven't worn out.  It does matter how the straps are put on, 
but in our experience, operators usually get it right, and we don't
see a lot of failures when footwear is tested.  Of course, most of our
people wear conductive shoes, not heel straps.

We operate to MIL-STD-1686 and ESD S20.20, which do
not speak to this issue, so what we have is a difference of opinion.
I've seen shops that require testing every time a heel strap 
or wrist strap is put on, and this is certainly defensible.  But
I think there should also be some tolerance for considerations of
practicality and general effectiveness of the ESD program.

Any comments?

Joe Kane
BAE Systems
Johnson City, NY

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