Fast, simple and reliable electrical connections

Electrical connections are often needed on steel structures to provide a physical connection to earth for elements such as instrumentation panels, pipe flanges and other electrical equipment. By earthing (or grounding) the elements, you protect the equipment as well as reducing the risk of electrical shocks for people around them. This is particularly important in energy and industry settings, with outdoor environments such as power plants, oil refineries and offshore platforms.

Primarily these connections provide three important functions:

• Bonding
  Simple act of joining two elements together – such as pipe flanges, cable trays or steel structures – so that at least one of them is then earthed so the electrical current can be discharged
• Earthing (or grounding)
  Connecting a part which does not normally carry current – such as equipment, junction boxes or storage vessels – to the earth
• Lightning
  Can be either direct (a lightning strike) or indirect (through power and communications lines or through the earth via the earthing system) and protection is based on catching the current and discharging it to earth (lightening conductors, catcher rods etc.)

Alternative methods can be time-consuming, labour intensive and require extensive rework to coated steel. For example: