GROUNDING & BONDING INSPECTIONS

Grounding & Bonding inspections are designed to verify that the existing electrical system and the metals parts of the facility, will not create a spark due to static discharge. In certain industrial applications, where explosive dusts are transferred using pipes, the NFPA states that the equipment and tubing must be tested to verify that it is properly grounded and bonded back to the building steel.

The NFPA 77 suggests that performing the Grounding & Bonding testing and inspections will help ensure that the metal parts of machinery, that move product (most cases, dry products), are installed up to code. By inspecting and documenting they are up to code, this allows for the safety and health of the workers.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR AND INSPECT

The picture above shows that the coupling used on the metal piping, does not have a grounding strap across the coupling. When we performed the test to capture the reading, we discovered that it was not sufficient to properly ground and discharge a potential static charge. The product within the metal piping was an explosive dust.

In this picture we see that there is a grounding wire that has been pulled alongside the metal pipping, it is properly connected to the pipes on either side of the coupling.

Here at EI, we follow the NETA guidelines for allowable thresholds of what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. For example, molded case circuit breakers are built to withstand a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperatures recorded at the time of inspection are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it is captured with a picture and readings are taken to determine the cause of the heat. This is just one example that EI uses on electrical equipment.

IN NEED OF A GROUNDING & BONDING INSPECTION?