aardingsplicht

Aardingsplicht is the legal obligation in the Netherlands to ensure that electrical installations are properly earthed (geaard) to protect people and property from electric shock and to enable protective devices to interrupt fault currents. The obligation is grounded in national electrical installation standards and building regulations, and it aligns with European norms for low-voltage installations.

The core purpose of aardingsplicht is to provide a continuous earth path from the installation to an earth electrode and to ensure bonding of exposed-conductive-parts. This reduces the risk of hazardous touch voltages and helps ensure that protective devices, such as fuses, circuit breakers and residual current devices (RCDs), operate correctly in the event of insulation faults or leakage currents. The exact requirements depend on the type of building and installation and are updated with changing standards.

Scope and application typically cover new electrical installations and major renovations, with existing installations often assessed against current safety standards. Aardingsplicht includes components such as the main protective earth conductor, connections to an earth electrode, and bonding of metallic services and other conductive parts where required by the standards.

Implementation generally involves installing a reliable earth path and ensuring proper connections to the earth electrode, along with obligatory bonding of certain conductive parts. Electric installations must comply with the applicable norms and building regulations, and work is usually performed by licensed electricians. Regular inspections or commissioning checks may be required to verify compliance.

See also: aardlekbeveiliging, aardingsnet, EN 60364/NEN 1010 standards.