Kaitsemaandus
Kaitsemaandus, or protective earthing, is the practice of connecting exposed conductive parts of electrical equipment and installations to the earth. The goal is to keep these parts at earth potential and to provide a low-impedance path for fault currents, so that protective devices such as fuses or residual-current devices disconnect quickly and safe conditions are restored, reducing the risk of electric shock and fire during insulation faults.
In an installation, kaitsemaandus comprises the protective earth conductor, which runs from the main distribution point
Different earthing network configurations exist, notably TN, TT and IT systems. In typical buildings, TN-S or
Regulatory requirements for kaitsemaandus depend on the jurisdiction, but European and international standards such as IEC