Newpark Mats Introduces Dura-Base EPZ Grounding System

Enlarge Image Dura-Base EPZ Grounding System was developed for utility and power transmission operators.

December 16, 2015 – Aging infrastructure across North America has resulted in increased activity and investment into power-transmission construction and maintenance projects. Financial investment jumped from $2.7 billion to $14.1 billion in only 15 years and is expected to reach $47.9 billion through 2025 resulting in the implementation of stringent regulations for safer operations such as the OSHA 1910.269(n)(3) standard for equipotential zones.

To adhere to these regulations, Newpark Mats and Integrated Services (NMIS), a unit of Newpark Resources, has introduced its fully integrated DURA-BASE EPZ Grounding System for utility and power transmission operators to the North American market.

The Dura-Base EPZ Grounding System features the Dura-Base advanced composite mat system custom-fitted with constructed metal grids. It provides a completely integrated platform for contractors to operate on, and the simplified connection of the grounding grid through the EPZ bus bars can reduce the risk of electrical hazards, such as arcing and touch-and-step voltage differentials.

The overlapping lip and interlocking design of these mats eliminates gapping, reducing the risk for slips, trips, and falls, and it provides an expanded work area in which multiple line maintenance workers can safely operate. In addition, the advanced-composite material of the mats provides a safe and stable jobsite for operations such as wire pulling and line stringing in difficult or sensitive terrain.