Protective Bonding Conductors: An IEC Point of View

Bonding plays a crucial role in maintaining continuity of the equipment grounding path. A clear path to ground allows a prompt response of the protective devices, located upstream of the fault. Protective bonding conductors are called for by the international electrotechnical commission (IEC) Standards as a specific safety requirement. Through the years, we have been assisting in the proliferation of ldquojumpersrdquo used both in equipment and mere metal parts. Their presence, in some cases, is quite useless and adds extra cost to the customer. In this paper, introducing concepts, as operative tools, like exposed and extraneous conductive parts, as used in IEC Standards, it will be substantiated that protective bonding conductors, in certain cases, have even resulted in lowering the aforementioned safety requirement, exposing users to additional risk of electric shock.