Rank: New forum user 
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Hi all. Hopefully someone can help with this question. I know that metal warehouse racking should be earth bonded to prevent a build up of static electricity. However, after advising this for a props store, it has started a debate avout what is actually required. An electrician has quoted quite a high price to bond all the racking right back to the electrical intake. This seems excessive, as it is just to prevent a static build up, and not for electrical earth protection, but I'm not an expert.
Would it be acceptable to simply bond the racking to the metal frame of the building, metal ventilation ducting, or metal conduit, as they would all be earthed? I would appreciate any advice on this, especially if you can point me in the direction of ACOPs or industry standards. Mant thanks Tim
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Rank: Forum user 
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I must admit all my years working in distribution I have never heard of the need to earth bond racking.
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Rank: Forum user
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I dont think it would be practical to bond racking never considered it before whilst being in H&S and as a past electrican. Equipotential bonding is to create a path of least resistance to earth in the event of any metal work becoming live under fault conditions or external influence such as lighting strike or where there is a risk of static build up.
Edited by user 21 July 2023 14:45:08(UTC)
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 1 user thanked Marc Owen for this useful post.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Thanks Marc Tim - I think that the sparkie who wants to charge you for all this earth bonding perhaps needs to explain why there is a significant risk of static build up. This is not like e.g. pouring flammable liquids in and out of metal containers - it's racking. Even if the racking was storing casks of overproof alcohol where is the risk of static build up, even if some of the content of the casks is lost each year - the "Angels' Share"?
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Depends upon what is in the racking - many electronic components can be damaged by a static surge (think the EM pulse associated with an atomic bomb blast and the reason you see PC Technicians with an armband plugged in to a socket) - so for cetain items, even when packed in anti-static packaging there is a need.
Think the sparky is considering "Earthing" whereas bonding would be ensuring a continuity through the racking to the floor i.e. ensuring each level has a direct contact to the one below. The consideration is what is in the racking and what is the risk in the event of....
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Rank: Super forum user
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Depends upon what is in the racking - many electronic components can be damaged by a static surge (think the EM pulse associated with an atomic bomb blast and the reason you see PC Technicians with an armband plugged in to a socket) - so for cetain items, even when packed in anti-static packaging there is a need.
Think the sparky is considering "Earthing" whereas bonding would be ensuring a continuity through the racking to the floor i.e. ensuring each level has a direct contact to the one below. The consideration is what is in the racking and what is the risk in the event of....
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Rank: Super forum user
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Even for static sensitive electrical equipment - even then I would think the risk is very low of causing damage. in a warehouse situation, it would seem resonable to have the electronic equipment packaged in anti-static packaging.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Even from the DSEAR perspective, earth bonding of racking wouldn't be expected. For flamamble liquids in drums/IBCs etc the worst case Zone rating would be Zone 2. There is little probability of static charging caused by the flow of liquids, as its a stoage facility I think somebody is pulling your....
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