ESD damage rarely announces itself. A component that survives a static event often fails weeks later, in production, with no obvious cause. That makes ESD control both boring and economically important — and it makes it easy to fake, which is why auditors look at evidence rather than intentions.
These are the six things that get checked.
1. Wrist straps that are actually worn and tested
Not present in the kit — worn, and verified. A strap with a broken cord or a poor skin contact reads as compliance while doing nothing. Continuous monitors on benches where the work justifies them, and a daily test log where they are used.
2. Work surfaces that are not improvised
ESD-safe mats on benches, with a documented resistance test. The classic audit finding is a server board resting on antistatic packaging that was never designed to be a work surface, on a table that is not dissipative.
3. Packaging discipline
Components move in shielding bags, not in bubble wrap or cardboard. Bags are closed, not folded over. Anything leaving the hall — for RMA, for sanitisation, for transport — is packaged as if it matters, because the warranty claim depends on it.
4. Handling of boards and modules
Edges and brackets, not contacts and connector pins. Modules go in and out with the power state appropriate to the vendor's guidance. It sounds elementary; it is the single most commonly observed deviation on site.
5. Environment and humidity
Very low humidity increases charge generation. Where sites run dry, the mitigation is procedural — more frequent grounding checks, stricter packaging — and it should be written into the method statement rather than left to the crew's judgement.
6. Records that prove the above
Training records for the people on site, periodic test results for straps and mats, and a procedure that exists in writing. Auditors do not penalise a gap that is documented and controlled; they penalise a control that is claimed without evidence.
The practical test
Walk into any data center floor and ask three questions: *is anyone touching a board right now, are they grounded, and can you show me the last test result for that strap?*
If the third question produces a shrug, the first two answers are opinions.
Need this applied to your site?
Our engineers run these checks as standard on every delivery. Send us the scope and we will tell you what we would look at first.