The creation of an equipotential zone will protect a worker standing within it from hazardous step and touch voltages. Such a zone can be produced through the use of a metal mat connected to the grounded object. Usually this metal mat (or ground mesh) is connected to buried ground rods to increase contact with the earth and effectively reduce grid impedance. In some cases, a grounding grid can be used to equalize the voltage within the grid. Equipotential zones will not, however, protect employees who are either wholly or partially outside the protected area. Bonding conductive objects in the immediate work area can also be used to minimize the voltage between the objects and between each object and ground. (Bonding an object outside the work area can increase the touch voltage to that object in some cases, however.)