ESD safe mats, or static control grounding mats, are used to ground you when you're working with electrostatic discharge (ESD) sensitive electrical components such as PCBs (printed circuits boards) and backplanes and motherboards.
ESD safe mats help to create an ESD protected area (EPA). This is a defined space where all surfaces, objects, people and ESD Sensitive Devices (ESDs) are kept at the same electrical potential. This is achieved by using anti-static materials such as rubber. The mats can be used on your worktop bench or the floor. You can also use ESD safe gloves and ESD safe footwear to ensure optimum personal grounding and protection.
It's important to create an EPA because electrostatic discharge can cause safety issues and damage your electrical components.
Features and benefits of ESD safe mats may include: