The network of conductors connecting all metal parts of an elevator installation to earth ground, protecting against electric shock.
Full Definition
An elevator earthing system connects all exposed conductive parts — including the car frame, guide rails, motor frame, control panels, and metallic conduits — to a common earth terminal and then to the building's earthing electrode. This ensures that if a live conductor contacts any metal part, fault current flows to earth through the low-resistance earthing path rather than through a person. IEC 60364 and EN 81-20 specify that the earthing conductor must be sized to carry fault current without damage and that earthing continuity must be verified during commissioning and periodic inspection. TN-S, TN-C-S, TT, and IT earth systems are all used in elevator installations depending on local supply configuration.
