On Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at 1:15:14 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Tue, 20 Jun 2017 20:16:48 +0100, "Ian Field"

All semiconductors need special handling. Usually I just wet my hands
and ground myself. That is plenty.

Not sure about the 'wet hands' part (your hands have lower skin resistance
than a ground strap), and the 'ground myself' is likewise a problem. We
all have to unclip from the leash at some point.

Installing RAM, I generally unseal the package, then hold onto the computer
chassis with my left hand while installing the module with my right. Earth
ground is not a requirement, just that the conductive packaging, the
installer, and the computer's groundable parts are all at the same potential.
If you have groundstrap and conductive mat, you STILL need also to ground the
computer. Sometimes, this is done with a dummy cord, ground-only, to the power
supply, but that's just SO ugly: a power cord that doesn't connect power !!ick!!