[gary]

Originally Posted by Lee

Thanks again Gary....

You are most welcome.

I'm going to look around for some ESD matting for the floor (that stuff isn't cheap!),

It can be very expensive. Years ago I remember seeing the invoice for antistatic
flooring that went into a lab room we were using. It made the eyes water.

Though not anti-static flooring in any sense that would pass any audit, a lower
cost alternative that might do the trick are industrial rubber mats such as
these -
http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/M800
http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/M805

We use these not for anti-static protection but for flooring covering around
machinery such as a mill. They are comfortable to stand on for hours and
if you drop something it usually bounces rather than breaks. The little
holes in them are a bonus. Drop something small like screw and it doesn't
go far. It will end up in one of the holes rather than rolling away.

Remember, most static buildup occurs when insulators that are widely
separated on the triboelectric scale come into contact and get torn apart.
The industrial rubber mats might end up being closer on the scale to what ever
your footwear soles are made of.

and some ESD shoes, and an antistatic mat for the desk too....
Visitors will just be banned.....

Very good.

Alternatively, invite guests on the requirement they put on a "bunny suit".
Either the Intel cleanroom type or the Playboy type, which ever will
derive you more amusement at the time.

I wonder if the mysterious death of my CCD in May was from a zap???

Could well be. One of the problems with ESD is that it can chip away at the
I/O gates of a semiconductor device, causing a little damage each time.
Over time, after successive discharges, the part can fail. So it is one good
reason not to allow excessive levels of static build-up to occur in the first place.

Good luck!