• This course provides students with an understanding of electrical sources that could injure people or damage equipment, proper bonding grounding procedures to minimize the effects and the proper test procedures to determine the integrity of the Outside Plant bonding grounding system.
• After completing this training course the student will be able to
• Causes and effects of lightning and commercial AC power on the telephone plant.
• Proper Outside Plant bonding grounding and noise mitigation techniques.
• Testing Outside Plant facility bonding grounding systems for proper
• installation and operation.
• And much more...

Lesson 1 - Basic Electrical Principles 

Objective: 
After this lesson the student will understand the terms and principle concepts of basic electricity related to Outside Plant bonding & grounding.  The student will be able to define Voltage, Current, Resistance, Ohms Law and Impedance as they relate to cable pairs and shields.

Lesson 2 – Lightning  

One of the critical potential sources of personnel danger and equipment damage in the
telephone plant is extremely high levels of voltage and current resulting from a nearby
lightning strike or a far off strike that enters the telephone plant and travels along
telephone cables.  A clear understanding of what lightning is and the dangerously high
surge potentials that follow a lightning strike is necessary in knowing the importance of
effective bonding & grounding.
 
Objective:  After this lesson, the student will be able to describe the source of lightning,
the magnitude of lightning strikes, how lightning enters the outside telephone plant, and
the dangers related to personnel and equipment.
 
 
 
Lesson 3 - Commercial AC Power Distribution
 
Another potential source of personnel danger and equipment damage in the telephone
plant is high levels of voltage and current resulting from a nearby AC power line fault or a
far off power fault that enters the telephone plant and travels along telephone cables.  A
clear understanding of commercial AC power distribution systems and the potential faults
that could occur is necessary in knowing the importance of effective bonding & grounding.
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to describe the common
commercial AC power distribution schemes and the hazardous fault conditions that can
occur.

Lesson 4 – Telephone Outside Plant Facilities
 
Understanding the physical makeup and construction of outside plant facilities will help the
student understand how proper bonding & grounding and noise mitigation is achieved. 
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to describe the makeup
and construction of Outside Plant cable facilities, and effectively describe how the different
facility elements are bonded and grounded to provide proper protection.
 
 
 
Lesson 5 - Lightning and AC Power Effects on Telephone Plant
 
The effects of high voltage and current on the OSP facilities from lightning and power
faults can be harmful to people and damaging to equipment in the Outside Plant facilities. 
This lesson provides the students with an awareness of these effects to developing a clear
understanding of Outside Plant bonding & grounding systems.
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to describe the effects
that lightning and power faults have on telephone facilities.
 
 
 
Lesson 6 - General Bonding & Grounding
 
There are basic concepts, guidelines and rules required to effectively protect personnel
and equipment from hazardous lightning and power fault voltage and current that may
come in contact with the telephone facilities.  This lesson covers the requirements set forth
in NEC and RUS documentation and is essential in understanding how the Outside Plant
facility is bonded & grounded.
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to describe the general
concepts, guidelines and rules required in effective bonding & grounding.
 
 
 
Lesson 7 - Bonding & Grounding Outside Plant Facilities
 
Knowing how and why the telephone facilities are bonded & grounded will aid the student
in understanding that bonding equalizes potentials and grounding diverts surge currents to
ground.
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to describe how proper
bonding & grounding of Outside Plant facilities reduces dangerous electrical potentials to
personnel and equipment, and how transmission noise is greatly reduced by proper cable
shield bonding & grounding.

Lesson 8 - Bonding & Grounding Customer Premises
 
People are protected from injury and equipment from damage inside customer premises
with proper bonded & grounded in compliance with local and national codes: NEC and
RUS requirements.  This lesson covers code requirements for telephone facilities entering
Customer Premises.
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to describe how proper
bonding & grounding of customer premises protects people and equipment from harm.
 
 
 
Lesson 9 – Central Office Ground System
 
This lesson covers bonding and grounding of the Central Office building and equipment,
which is complicated by the use of sensitive electronic equipment and the variation of
equipment types typically found in the Central Office.
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to describe the concept,
theory and practical application of the Central Office grounding system and how it will
protect people and equipment located inside the Central Office building.
 
 
 
Lesson 10 - Testing Ground Fields
 
This lesson covers the testing of ground fields, either a single ground rod or a ground grid
system.  The basic three-point-method for testing ground fields using an approved Earth
Megger is discussed.
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to describe the concept,
theory and practical application of the three-point-method ground field test to determine if
the ground system under test meets NEC and RUS requirements.
 
 
 
Lesson 11 - Testing Cable Shield Bonds & Grounds
 
This lesson covers the testing of Outside Plant cable shield bonds and grounds for
continuous connections and frequent grounds.  Use of a basic AC clamp-on ammeter is
discussed.
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to describe the concept,
theory and practical application of testing cable shield bonds and grounds, and know the
requirements for performing current reading tests with an AC clamp-on ammeter.

Lesson 12 - Hands-On Field Trip to a Local Outside Plant Cable Facility
 
This lesson covers actual hands-on testing of Outside Plant cable shield bonds and
grounds at a local field location.   Students will test real shield bonds and grounds to
determine the quality of the bonding and grounding at that location.
 
Objective:  After completing this lesson, the student will be able to effectively test Outside
Plant cable shield bonds and grounds with an AC clamp-on ammeter and earth megger,
determine the quality of the ground facilities and make recommendations to correct
discrepancies.

BTS always provides equipment to have a very successful Hands-On course. BTS also encourages all attendees to bring their own equipment to the course. This will provide attendees the opportunity to incorporate their own gear into the labs and gain valuable training using their specific equipment.