Novel Design of Portable Equipotential Zone Mats and Laboratory Testing

To provide a safer work area for electrical workers, a novel design concept of portable equipotential zone mats is presented in this article. The proposed mats can create a safe work area by enabling bonding with energized equipment, and thus, creating an equipotential zone for electrical workers who may be exposed to electrical potential differences. The proposed mats are portable; they can be conveniently transported to remote areas and set up at worksites. In this article, we have designed, built, and tested two sizes of mats. To evaluate their performance, the two mats have passed type tests according to the latest revision of American Society for Testing and Materials standard F2715. The testing results of the proposed equipotential zone mats are demonstrated in the article.