7.3.1 Lightning equipotential bonding for metal installations

Equipotential bonding is a key measure for electrical safety and system stability. It serves to prevent dangerous potential differences while ensuring the functionality of electrical and IT systems. In the IEC standards, equipotential bonding is divided into different categories, each of which fulfils specific tasks and complements the others.

Protective equipotential bonding
Protective equipotential bonding is a fundamental measure for protection against electric shock. According to IEC 60364-4-41, it must ensure that conductive parts within a system are brought to the same potential so that no dangerous voltages can occur in the event of a fault. It is therefore an integral part of the 'automatic disconnection of the power supply' protective measure.