Two years ago we were contacted by a major defense contractor asking if we had ESD (Electrostatic Discharge Safe) tools available. They had hundreds of employees working on electronics each with their own Chapman set. The sets were about 15 years old and worked fine, but the case and the screwdriver handle failed their recent ESD audit.

What does ESD Safe mean?

Electrostatic discharge is defined by Wikipedia is "the sudden flow of electricity between two electrically charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short, or dielectric breakdown. A buildup of static electricity can be caused by tribocharging or by electrostatic induction. The ESD occurs when differently-charged objects are brought close together or when the dielectric between them breaks down, often creating a visible spark."

ESD can cause damage to sensitive electronic boards and devices, so if a worker picked up his/her Chapman set, carried it across the room or rubbed it against another object, the Chapman case could build up static electricity, and short out electronics if the worker touched a PC board or set the case down next to it.

We worked diligently for two yeas to develop a plastic case and screwdriver handle that was the same high quality as our existing parts and ESD safe.

Chapman ESD Safe Screwdriver Kit Specs

All of our bits, extensions and non-dipped ratchets are ESD safe because they are 100% metal, and metal does not hold a static charge.

Our ESD safe cases and screwdriver handles both measure on the Surface Resistivity scale as conductive, which is typically regarded as having a resistivity below 10 x 6 W/sq. They are only available in black.

The following Chapman Screwdriver Kits are available as ESD Safe Screwdrivers:

6810 -SAE Hex & Star bits for Torx Screws

4320- SAE Hex

7331- SAE & mm Hex

7341- SAE Hex & Bristol/Six Spline

9600- Slotted

8900- SAE Hex & Slotted

2011- mm Hex & Star bits for Torx Screws

Custom sets are available! Please contact joel@chapmanmfg.com