In the personnel grounding device, the clip or clamp is connected in series to what?

• A. An adequate ground
• B. A power source
• C. A battery
• D. A neutral

Answer: (A)

Grounding for safety provides a low-impedance path for any static or fault current to flow to earth, so the technician and the equipment stay at the same electrical potential. The clip or clamp in a personnel grounding device must be connected in series with an adequate ground—that is, a proper earth or equipment grounding point with low resistance. This completes the discharge path and safely bleeds away charges before contact with energized parts.

Connecting to a power source or a battery would introduce voltage into the path and defeat the safety purpose. A neutral, while part of some circuits, is not a reliable protective grounding reference and can carry current, making it unsuitable for this purpose.