Manufacturing & Safety
Electrostatic Protection in Saudi Industrial Workwear
ESD-rated coveralls for petrochemical, electronics assembly, and explosive-environment sites — what HCIS expects.
Khalid Al-Otaibi·Industrial Safety Engineer·14 December 2025·7 min read
In a Saudi petrochemical plant, an electrostatic discharge is not a static-shock annoyance — it is an explosive-environment ignition source. ESD-rated coveralls are the difference between a near-miss and an incident. The HCIS spec is specific; most catalogue products don't meet it.
ESD physics in petrochemical environments
HCIS specification for ESD coveralls
Carbon-conductive thread integration
Programme audit and replacement
Frequently asked
- How is ESD measured?
- Via surface-resistivity in ohms/square. HCIS minimum: 10⁹ Ω/sq.
- Are ESD coveralls more expensive?
- Yes — 30-40% over standard FR coveralls.
- How long does ESD performance last?
- Wash-validated to 80 cycles; UNEOM provides per-garment serial tracking.
- Is ESD required at every petrochemical site?
- In ATEX-zoned areas, yes. UNEOM specifies ESD into the relevant programme tier.
- Can ESD and HRC2 be combined?
- Yes — UNEOM produces ESD-HRC2 inherent FR cotton coveralls for tier-1 sites.