EPZ Grounding Grates 101

Ensuring the worksite is safe takes dedication and ingenuity. A key part of this is to implement the latest equipment designed to mitigate risk of harm, especially in terms of electrocution and fatal injury. One such modernization is the EPZ grounding grate. What are EPZ grounding grates? Made of galvanized steel, they are one solid piece of grating strategically positioned in work zones where power lines are present. The purpose of these grates is to create an equipotential bonded and grounded work zone to protect crew members from Grade 5 fault currents and step-potential.

Courtesy Of Yak Mat, a crane mat manufacturer

These large grates may be bonded together with 4/o copper cables and 2-hole lug connectors to form portable substations or an equipotential zone for puller and tensioner sites. Additionally, EPZ grounding grates contain added lug areas that could be used for securing grounding cables between stringing equipment and grates. Such innovative design offers dependable protection from extremely dangerous levels of electricity.

Investing in and installing EPZ grounding grates throughout a worksite with electrical hazards has many benefits. One of the main advantages is their reusability and long lifespans. Another benefit is their ease of assembly. These screens can be quickly removed and reassembled, which makes moving from one site to another less demanding and less costly.

EPZ safety zones can be enhanced with grounding grates along with a number of other safety measures. These could include warning signage as well as outer fencing and inner boundaries to prevent stepping in or out of the zone. When utilized in one interconnected system, the risk of electrocution can be drastically reduced, resulting in lives saved. For further information on EPZ grounding grates, please see the accompanying resource.