Importance of Earthing and Lightning Protection in Industrial Facilities

Technical overview of grounding systems and lightning protection for electrical safety, equipment protection, and regulatory compliance.

Earthing and lightning protection are fundamental to electrical safety in industrial environments. They protect personnel, equipment, and infrastructure from electrical faults and surge energy.

**Purpose of Earthing**
- Provides fault current path to ground
- Prevents electric shock
- Stabilizes voltage levels
- Protects equipment from damage

Common Earthing Types:
- Equipment earthing
- System earthing
- Chemical earthing
- Maintenance-free earthing

**Lightning Protection System Components**
- Air terminals (lightning rods)
- Down conductors
- Earth termination network
- Surge protection devices

**Risks Without Protection**
- Equipment burnout
- Fire hazards
- Data loss
- Structural damage
- Operational downtime

**Industrial Best Practices**
- Maintain low earth resistance
- Periodic testing of earth pits
- Install surge protection devices
- Annual inspection of lightning network