Pennsylvania Code › Title 34 - LABOR AND INDUSTRY › Part I - Department of Labor and Industry › Chapter 39 - SAFETY STANDARDS-GENERAL › Subchapter B - ELECTRIC SAFETY › METHODS OF PROTECTIVE GROUNDING › Section 39.68 - Methods of ground connection

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
					 Ground connections to metallic piping systems shall be made on the street side
					 of water meters, which might interrupt the continuity of the underground
					 metallic pipe systems, unless otherwise provided in subsection (b), but
					 connections may be made immediately inside building walls to secure
					 accessibility for inspection and test. When water meters are located outside
					 buildings or in concrete pits within buildings where piping connections are
					 inbedded in concrete flooring, the ground connection may be made on the
					 building side of the meters, if they are suitably shunted.
(b) When the making of a ground to a piping
					 system outside the meter or other device would involve a long run, connection
					 for equipment or wire runways, not for circuits, may be made to the water
					 piping system at a point near the part to be protected, if there are no
					 insulating joints in the pipe to prevent a good ground. In such cases care
					 shall be taken to electrically connect all parts of the piping system liable to
					 create a hazard, if they become alive, to shunt the pipe system where necessary
					 around meters, and so forth, in order to keep the connection with the
					 underground piping system continuous. Gas piping systems within buildings shall
					 not be used for purposes of this rule, except that gas piping need not be
					 insulated from otherwise well-grounded electrical fixtures and if the making of
					 another ground connection for a fixture would involve a long run and the
					 fixture is, therefore, not within reach of plumbing or plumbing fixtures, the
					 gas piping may for small fixtures be utilized as the sole ground connection. If
					 so used the gas piping and water piping systems within the building shall be
					 grounded at their points of entrance. Reference should also be made to
					 §§
											39.65 and
					 39.66 (relating to ground
					 conductor; and nature of ground connection).
(c) The ground connection to metallic piping
					 systems shall be made by sweating the ground wire into a lug attached to an
					 approved clamp and firmly bolting the clamp to the pipe, after all rust and
					 scale have been removed, or by soldering the ground connection into a brass
					 plug which has been tightly screwed into a pipe fitting or, where the pipe is
					 of sufficient thickness, screwed into a hole in the pipe itself, or connection
					 may be made by other equivalent means. The point of connection shall be as
					 readily accessible as possible, and the position should be recorded. With bell
					 and spigot joint pipe it may be necessary to connect to several lengths where
					 circuits or equipment of large current-carrying capacity are being
					 grounded.
(d) Artificial grounds
					 shall be located, where practicable, below permanent moisture level, or failing
					 this at least 6 feet deep. Each ground should present not less than 2 square
					 feet surface to exterior soil. Areas where ground water level is close to the
					 surface shall be used when available.
This section cited in 34 Pa. Code §
													39.61 (relating to applicability);
						  34 Pa. Code §
													39.62 (relating to scope); 34 Pa.
						  Code §
													39.63 (relating to modification or
						  waiver of provisions); 34 Pa. Code §
													39.65 (relating to ground
						  conductor); 34 Pa. Code §
													39.66 (relating to nature of
						  ground connection); 34 Pa. Code §
													39.69 (relating to ground
						  resistance); 34 Pa. Code §
													39.103 (relating to protective
						  grounding); 34 Pa. Code §
													39.183 (relating to ground wires);
						  34 Pa. Code §
													39.197 (relating to grounding); 34
						  Pa. Code §
													39.219 (relating to grounding or
						  isolating service conduits); 34 Pa. Code §
													39.292 (relating to grounding
						  noncurrent-carrying parts); and 34 Pa. Code §
													39.304 (relating to grounding of
						  arresters for signaling systems).