Using the FOP test, the
grounding system being tested must I be disconnected from the equipment being I grounded, de-energized, and isolated--but this can be impossible to do in an operating industrial facility where output and processes must be maintained.
From the safety and ESD points of view,
grounding of both tools meets the standards and is considered adequate for its operation.
Due to the distances between the system grounds, there can be significant differences of potential between the local
grounding points.
These
grounding connections that bridge the wiring and pipes (which constitute an additional pathway by which a current may travel) force both systems to carry precisely the same voltage -- something they might not have done otherwise.
The
grounding prong is always slightly longer than the flat blades so that, as the appliance is being plugged in, the connection to ground is made before other electrical contacts are established.
In any environment, just sticking the
grounding rod under a landing leg or driving it a few inches in the ground won't cut it.
It is true that the shield braid on the RF cable has some continuity and offers some DC
grounding.
