What is meant by "equipotential bonding"?

Equipotential bonding refers to the practice of connecting all exposed conductive parts of an electrical installation to ensure that they maintain the same electrical potential. This is crucial for safety because it reduces the risk of electrical shock or arc flash hazards that can occur when different parts of a system have varying potentials. By ensuring that all conductive components are at the same electrical potential, equipotential bonding helps to mitigate the dangers that arise from faults in equipment or unexpected electrical currents.

This practice is often used in environments where electrical equipment might be accessible to personnel or in settings that contain water or conductive materials, which can enhance the risk of electrical shock. By bonding these parts together, any fault current has a low-resistance path back to the ground, which promotes proper operation of protective devices and thereby enhances overall safety.

The other options do not accurately represent the concept of equipotential bonding. For example, connecting all insulated parts does not relate to the need for all conductive parts to maintain the same potential, and using plastic materials for safety does not inherently provide for electrical bonding. Creating separate grounding systems is also counterproductive, as it could lead to potential differences between different grounds, increasing safety risks rather than mitigating them.