Electrical Grounding Safety Explained

Electrical grounding safety is one way used to reduce the effects of electrical hazards to persons and equipment. Grounding Safety works by using the earth or ground as a conductor to drain away any unwanted electrical discharges. Besides power lines and the human body (particularly the human heart), electrical current can travel through water, dirt, rocks and anything else on the ground. This fact makes the earth the ultimate conductor and a great way to promote grounding safety.

In practice, if any electrical wiring becomes faulty, then the electrical ground absorbs a large portion of the straying electrical current instead of an electrical worker repairing or servicing electrical, computer or electronic systems. But, in order to achieve this, electrical circuits must be secured to the ground or the earth through a qualified safety system or network of systems.

How proper grounding improves electrical safety
Secure electrical ground connections protect workers, but also help protect the safe operation of equipment. Sometimes electrical equipment can be susceptible to electrical interference, but safety systems can protect against this. Also, if lightning strikes the building housing electrical equipment, a considerable amount of damage can be done, but electrical safety, using the earth as a conductor, can dissipate any amount of electrical current. System components can also be damaged by electrostatic buildup, but safety helps to avoid damage by draining away any unwanted electrical current. A good grounded point usually has a constant voltage, no matter what happens in the system or the circuit.

Grounding systems and circuits
A few essential pieces of equipment connect together to make a good grounded electrical safety system: the grounded conductor, the grounded bus bars, the grounded conductor for equipment, and any other metal parts that don’t possess electrical currents. This system is put together by joining an appropriately sized un-spliced grounded electrode conductor between the grounded electrode system and the grounded bus bar.