All exposed, non-current carrying metal parts of an information technology system shall be grounded in accordance with NEC Article _____ or shall be double insulated.

• A. 600
• B. 700
• C. 800
• D. 900

Answer: (C)

For information technology equipment, safety rests on keeping exposed metal parts from becoming live. Grounding provides a reliable path to earth so a fault current trips the overcurrent device quickly, reducing shock risk. Alternatively, the equipment can be designed with double insulation (Class II), which means it has two layers of insulation or equivalent protection so no grounding path is needed.

The NEC assigns these IT-specific grounding and insulation requirements to Article 800. It states that exposed, non-current carrying metal parts must be bonded to ground under Article 800, or the equipment must be double insulated. That’s why the correct reference is Article 800.

Other articles cover different types of equipment and general installation rules that don’t apply to the IT grounding requirement described here.