Earthing system
physical equipment that provides a low-impedance connection between a circuit or electrical installation and earth ground
An earthing system (internationally) or grounding system (US) connects specific parts of an electric power system, such as the conductive surfaces of equipment, with the ground for safety and functional purposes. The choice of earthing system can affect the safety and electromagnetic compatibility of the installation. Regulations for earthing systems vary among countries, though most follow the recommendations of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Regulations may identify special cases for earthing in mines, in patient care areas, or in hazardous areas of industrial plants.
Purpose
Protection against Electric Shock
System earthing serves as a key component of one of the most commonly used forms of protection against electric shock. International standard IEC 61140 Protection against electric shock sets out requirements for shock protection under both normal conditions (so called basic protection), and fault conditions (i.e. earth faults). Basic protection involves concepts such as insulation. Fault protection (with respect to risk of shock, as opposed to other forms of electrical system faults) concerns the concept of accessible conductive parts within an installation (building) which were never intended to be electrically energised, unintentionally becoming energised and hazardous.
One of the methods described by IEC 61140 for addressing fault protection, and one of the most commonly used, is automatic disconnection of supply (ADS).
“Earthing system” enters the record as physical equipment that provides a low-impedance connection between a circuit or electrical installation and earth ground. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Earthing, system and physical can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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