Grounding (bonding to earth)

Returning to basics, grounding is bonding to earth. While grounding electrodes are the only true bonds to earth, the term “grounding” has been traditionally applied when bonding to extended conducting bodies such as the ground bus in an electrical panel. That tradition is presently under fire with suggestions that anything other than the connection to grounding electrodes is bonding rather than bonding to earth. Beyond semantics, the term “bonding” alone compared to “bonding to earth” presents a clear omission which is the reference to earth. This paper challenges that omission presenting the multifaceted approach for reduction of electrical hazards provided by bonding to earth rather than simply bonding.