Electrical Matting – A Class Above

by Jonny Paulton | November 22, 2023

We’ve all heard the myth about rubber-soled shoes offering protection from lightning strikes. In truth, a thin layer of rubber isn’t going to do much when faced with up to 300 million volts. However, rubber still has a place when it comes to defending against much more common levels of electric potential.

For workers who are in close proximity to live electrical equipment, such as switchboards and control panels, shock prevention is a vital health and safety consideration. A short circuit in the equipment, or an electrical leak from it, can expose the worker to high levels of voltage, whether by direct contact or via an electric arc. This can result in severe injury, such as muscle spasms, loss of motion, or burns, but can also prove fatal.

So where does rubber come into the equation and how can it help? Rubber is a dielectric material, meaning no current will flow through it when voltage is applied. It is more commonly referred to as an insulating material. To put it more technically, rubber doesn’t contain any loosely bound or free electrons which would move freely within the material, acting as conductors.

Rubber is used in the form of matting when it comes to shock protection in the applications listed above. This safety matting is an essential form of defence. In fact, it is recommended by the HSE in their Electricity at Work – Safe Working Practices guidance.

The human body is considered a good conductor of electricity due to the presence of various ions, so when it comes into contact with an electrical current and with the ground, it completes the circuit, resulting in an electric shock. The higher the voltage, the higher the current, the worse the shock. Rubber matting doesn’t allow the flow of electrical current through the worker’s body to the ground or earth as it prevents the worker from making physical contact with the ground.

At this point, you may think any rubber matting will suffice, but to offer the best protection and to comply with the aforementioned HSE guidance, it will need to be manufactured to IEC 61111:2009 specifications. IEC 61111:2009 is a standard applicable to rubber electrical insulating matting for use as a floor covering for the protection of works on electrical installations, and designates different classes for matting depending on the voltage.

There are five classes, numbered from 0 to 4, which denote the safe working voltage of the matting. Each class has a colour coding, as per the table below:

The maximum tested voltage indicates the mat will not deteriorate when exposed to this voltage, however, this will only be for a very short period of time and is not indicative of the level of protection to the worker. The important figure is the safe working voltage as this is the maximum voltage at which the matting will provide protection from shock, as well as the maximum voltage the mat itself can withstand for long periods of time. It is, therefore, imperative the correct class of matting is selected for the environment in which it is to be used.

RubberSmart stocks and supplies high-quality rubber electrical safety matting, manufactured and tested to the IEC 61111:2009 standard. As well as providing excellent electrical protection, our mats are produced with a fine ribbed or fluted surface, which creates an anti-slip surface, even when wet, ensuring ultimate protection.