wolf 950 portable generator

[condriac]

I have recently bought a wolf 950 portable generator,in the instruction book it says it should be earthed by means of a connection to a spike in the ground, is thisa really necessary? i am siure I have seen these used by market traders etc., usually on hard standing, any comments would be appreciated.

[qapmoc]

Hi condriac, any generator which suppliers 230vac or more should in theory be connected to the earth to provide a return path for faults to make sure the circuit-breaker trips in the event of a fault to ground on the equipment it supplies. However in dry conditions, using equipment in good condition with no damaged cables etc... and using no earth connection, you will probably 'get away with it' for years with no problems.

But and here is the point, for use of ANY equipment not just generators if you follow the instructions given and an accident happens and someone gets killed you can stand in court and say 'I did everything correctly and as instructed and to the best of my knowledge I am not at fault' but if you read the instructions and choose to ignore them what will you say if your day in court comes???