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Electrostatic Certification standard

EN 1149-5

Clothing that dissipates static electricity

Performance requirements for protective clothing with electrostatic dissipative properties, used to suppress static charge build-up and prevent the sparks that can trigger fires or explosions in hazardous atmospheres. EN 1149-5 is the umbrella performance standard; the material is qualified against it through one of the EN 1149 test-method parts below.

Fabrics with this certificate
EN 1149 pictogram
ScopeElectrostatic dissipation
ExcludesMains-voltage electric shock
Always paired withEN ISO 11612
Compliance routePart 1, 2 or 3

The contents of this standard

This standard specifies requirements for clothing that conducts electricity. Combined with footwear that also conducts electricity, it forms part of a completely earthed system that prevents sparks and therefore explosions. Clothing made to this standard is only accepted in combination with the flame-retardant clothing standard EN ISO 11612 — it is worn in explosion-hazard environments, and where there is a risk of explosion there is also a risk of fire. It does not protect against electric shock from mains voltage, and may not be worn in oxygen-enriched environments. EN 1149-5 compliant clothing is frequently required under the ATEX guidelines.

Different tests, codes

Three test methods. Any one of them qualifies the fabric.

EN 1149 part
Test setup & description
Test method
Surface resistance
Pass≤ 2.5 × 10⁹ Ω
two electrodes rest on the same face, resistance read across the surface fabric, top face MΩ xmtextiles.com
The fabric releases its electrostatic charge via conduction. Two electrodes rest on the same face of the sample and the surface resistance between them is measured. Homogeneous materials conduct directly; heterogeneous materials must release charge via a grid of conductive fibres no larger than 10 mm × 10 mm.
EN 1149-1
Vertical resistance
PassCharge does not pass through
electrodes on opposite faces, resistance read through the material outside inside MΩ xmtextiles.com
Measures whether an electrical charge passes through the material from the outside face to the inside face. This is the same through-resistance test method used for the electrostatic requirement in EN ISO 11611.
EN 1149-2
Charge decay
Passt₅₀ < 4 s or S > 0.2
time for an induced charge to fall to half its starting value 50% t₅₀ 100% time → xmtextiles.com
The fabric releases its electrostatic charge to the air rather than by conduction. A static charge is induced on the sample and the time for it to decay is measured — either the half-life (t₅₀) or the shielding factor (S).
EN 1149-3
The requirements set in this standard

Materials that can carry an electric charge (metal buttons, zips, etc.) must be covered on the outside. Non-conductive elements such as reflective strips or emblems are permitted only if permanently attached — a removable badge is not allowed. Compliance with EN 1149-5 is in itself insufficient: the wearer must also wear shoes that conduct electricity, and the outer material must always be in contact with the wearer’s skin, including at seams. A garment-level test method, EN 1149-4, is still under development. XM FireLine fabrics are tested and documented against EN 1149 so the right combination can be certified alongside your heat & flame requirement.

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