No matter the job site you’re on, keeping workers safe should be the top priority. Perhaps nowhere is this more important than when there is an electrical current. When powerlines are present on a job site it can put crew members at risk of severe shock if precautions are not taken. In fact, construction-related fatalities in 2018, 8.5% were electrocutions.

What Makes Powerline Projects Risky?

The danger for crew members is the nature of electricity and how it flows. Electrical charges always want to be equal and if there is a discrepancy between two objects current will flow between them as the charge look to equalize. This means if a worker accidentally touches charged power lines they will experience severe shock. This is why it is important to have a grounded work zone from fault currents.

Having a grounded area on the worksite allows the electrical current a pathway to the ground where it will be dissipated safely. One way to achieve an equipotential grounding zone is through the use of galvanized steel grates. Single-piece grounding grates are easy to deploy and could be used to create an equipotential zone of virtually any size and configuration. If you are interested in learning more about EPZ grounding grates, take a look at the accompanying resource below. It provides several more examples of ways an EPZ grounding grate is used.

Courtesy of Yak Mat