BS 2050:1978

Limits and corresponding tests for products for hospitals and industrial use.

1.1 This British Standard specifies limits of electrical resistance for antistatic and conducting articles and products manufactured wholly or in part from natural or synthetic rubbers, from polyvinyl chloride, from other flexible polymeric materials or from mixtures of these. The electrical conductivity is derived from the addition of carbon black and/or other appropriate substances to the bulk of the material.

This British Standard does not apply to:

1. articles, the relevant surfaces of which are composed of mixtures of insulating and conducting areas; or to
2. articles with a substantial surface area of insulating material, except for
   1. hoses that have only a conductive lining or a conductive cover, and
   2. footwear, which does not normally have a conductive or antistatic upper.

The resistance values given have been found suitable for certain products for hospital and industrial uses and are given as a guide. When British Standard product specifications for individual products have been issued, test methods and resistance values given in the appropriate product specification should be used in preference to those given in this document.

1.2 This British Standard also describes methods of test to determine the electrical resistance of antistatic and conductive articles and products manufactured wholly or in part from a flexible polymeric material.

The tests are carried out on the finished product using a defined system of electrodes by a system suited to factory inspection or service testing. These methods are not appropriate where the measured resistance is greater than 3 × 10⁸ Ω.

NOTE Only if their suitability has been established experimentally, should these methods of test be used for products not covered by this British Standard (e.g. products in which the electrical conductivity is not obtained by the addition of carbon black and/or other appropriate substances to the bulk material or which have a substantial area of insulating material).