Is this statement correct?

[marcosgue]

Attached paragraph from Oshatoolbox talk that we discused every week in the safety meeting. I think there is a mistake in last sentence of second paragraph because the electrical current travel to ungrounded conductor and return back to the power source of the electrical system through the grounded conductor but never to ground.
1. What you guys think about this osha statement?
2. Beside a ground fault, is there some specific situation inside the premises where the current travel through the egc back to the electrical system, that we can consider a normal trayectory?

 

[roger]

The statement is incorrect.

 

[infinity]

I agree, poorly written and incorrect.

 

[marcosgue]

What about you think about my second questions? I think objectionable current is one of the case

 

[roger]

What about you think about my second questions? I think objectionable current is one of the case

Any current on the EGC is objectionable IMO. The reason neutrals are required at switches is an attempt to keep current from being on the EGC.
In earlier times some electronics used their chassis as part of the circuit and was a cause for the isolated grounding nonsense.

 

[d0nut]

A multi-grounded system, like a main-tie-main service arrangement, that doesn't use 4-pole breakers will have current on the ground bus and would require modified differential ground fault relaying to make ground fault protection work properly.

 

[electrofelon]

Other than the "electricity flows to ground" statement, i didn't see anything incorrect. It was cut off right when they were about to explain the safety hazard of reverse polarity. I can see the safety hazard and something like a toaster or light bulb socket, but don't really see an issue for other things.

 

[jaggedben]

What about you think about my second questions? I think objectionable current is one of the case

You are correct that an EGC is not supposed to have current flowing on it, although this may happen due to a ground fault, or an improper connection casuing objectionable current.

A grounding electrode conductor (GEC) may have current flowing on it. This may be because the grounding electrode is low impedance, such as a water pipe network connecting to multiple services. It is also permitted when multiple GECs or GEC taps are branched off to multiple service disconnects. In general article 250 is written to permit arrangements where current may flow on grounded parts on the supply side of the service disconnecting means and the grounding electrode system. The actual amount of current may vary a lot, and may be effectively zero on many services, but it shouldn't be assumed there won't be any.

 

[ScipioAfricanus]

Here is the whole thing.
'
Andy.

 

[Joe.B]

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7507255286021754142

 

[Joe.B]

 

[hbiss]

First of all, if a tool such as a portable grinder wired in a reverse polarity situation were to short out, the grinder would suddenly turn on and start to run even without the on-off switch being activated. To make matters worse, you would not be able to turn the grinder back off unless you unplugged it from the receptacle.

I thought they were talking about double insulated tools that have plugs without ground pins. Then they make this statement. Pretty misleading if you ask me.

-Hal

 

[hbiss]

It wasn't long ago that lamps and other devices didn't have polarized plugs (and receptacles too) that maintained the hot and neutral polarity to the device. When you plugged that kind of plug into a receptacle you had a 50/50 chance that the neutral would be connected to a part that wouldn't shock or electrocute you if you contacted it and something grounded. So, the demonstrations with the hot on the lamp socket outer shell was normal back then.

-Hal

 

[Seven-Delta-FortyOne]

The whole “electricity is trying to get to ground” is an unfortunately common misconception.

I’ve actually heard guys in the electrical department at the home center telling customers “electricity is trying to get to ground”.

 

[Joe.B]

The whole “electricity is trying to get to ground” is an unfortunately common misconception.

I’ve actually heard guys in the electrical department at the home center telling customers “electricity is trying to get to ground”.

Ended up running across an Ask This Old House episode a few nights ago and they just reinforced that same fallacy again... I changed the channel...

 

[ggunn]

It wasn't long ago that lamps and other devices didn't have polarized plugs (and receptacles too) that maintained the hot and neutral polarity to the device. When you plugged that kind of plug into a receptacle you had a 50/50 chance that the neutral would be connected to a part that wouldn't shock or electrocute you if you contacted it and something grounded. So, the demonstrations with the hot on the lamp socket outer shell was normal back then.

-Hal

When I was in college the first time back when dinosaurs ruled the earth, a party was being set up in a yard where they had a pond made out of visqueen and bales of hay with a wooden bridge over it. One of the guys who was building the bridge was standing knee deep in the pond when he leaned over to pick up a plugged in circular saw on the ground that had a metal body and and one of those two prong non-polarized power cords. He did not survive.

 

[Hv&Lv]

OSHA needs to get people that actually understand electrical theory to write these..