Erdberührt

Erdberührt is a German term used in electrical engineering and safety discussions to describe a condition in which an accessible conductive part is at earth potential due to grounding or fault. The word combines Erde (earth) and berührt (touched). In practice, erdberührt signals a risk of electric shock for anyone who can touch the part while standing on or in contact with the earth, and it is therefore a factor in risk assessments and protective design.

The term is common in German-language standards, manuals, and technical descriptions for electrical installations, equipment, and protection systems. It helps distinguish between parts that remain isolated in normal operation and parts that could become touch-potential during operation or fault conditions (erdberührt). This distinction guides the selection of protective measures, such as insulation, enclosures, proper earthing, and residual-current devices (RCDs).

Typical scenarios described as erdberührt include exposed metal housings or conductive components that are connected to protective earth and could be touched, or conductive parts that become connected to live conductors due to a fault and are accessible to a person in contact with the earth. The concept underpins safety practices aimed at preventing electric shock and ensuring that exposed conductive parts are adequately protected or isolated.

See also: electrical safety, earth fault, protective earth, insulation, touch potential, protective enclosure.