THE PURPOSE OF GROUNDING AND BONDING

The grounding and bonding system is more than just an insurance policy against a lightning strike or other surge event. It is an active, functioning system that provides protection for personnel and equipment. Proper grounding and bonding are essential for efficient network performance in the modern data center and telecommunication spaces.
A primary purpose of the grounding and bonding system is to create an adequate-capacity path for electrical surges and transient voltages to return to their source (which may include the earth).
Lightning, fault currents, circuit switching (motors turning on and off), activation of surge protective devices (SPDs) and electrostatic discharge are common causes of these electrical surges and transient voltages. An effective grounding and bonding system minimizes the detrimental effects of these electrical surges and transient voltages.
A properly designed grounding and bonding system is intentional, visually verifiable, and adequately sized to handle expected currents safely and without undue effect on susceptible electronic equipment.Any metallic component that is part of the data center infrastructure (such as equipment, racks, ladder racks, cabinets, cable trays, etc.) must be properly connected to the grounding and bonding system.