In electrical safety, what term describes connecting to earth to prevent shock?

• A. Insulation
• B. Bonding
• C. Shielding
• D. Grounding

Answer: (D)

Grounding creates a path to earth for fault current, giving electricity a low-resistance route to ground. When a fault causes a metal surface to become energized, this earth path lets the current flow away quickly, triggering protective devices and reducing the shock risk to a person who touches it. In a nail salon, properly grounded outlets and tools are essential for safety, and using grounded equipment or outlets with protective devices helps prevent dangerous shocks.

Insulation blocks current from leaving its conductor but does not provide a path for fault current to earth, so it doesn’t by itself protect you from shock in a fault. Bonding connects exposed conductive parts to each other to keep them at the same electrical potential, which reduces shock from differences between parts, but the primary mechanism for safely removing fault current is a true earth connection—grounding. Shielding protects conductors from electric fields or interference and is not about providing a safe fault path to earth.