What Is Protective Earth?

Protective earth, commonly abbreviated as PE, is an electrical safety connection. It connects accessible conductive parts of equipment to earth so that dangerous fault currents can be safely conducted away.

Protective earthing is commonly associated with Class I electrical equipment, which relies on basic insulation together with a protective earth connection for protection against electric shock.

When Is the Protective Earth Symbol Used?

The symbol is used to identify a protective earth terminal or connection. It allows installers, users and service personnel to distinguish the safety earth connection from other electrical connections.

Whether protective earthing is required depends on the construction of the equipment and the applicable electrical safety requirements.

Protective Earth vs Functional Earth

Protective earth has a safety function and is intended to protect against electric shock. Functional earth, by contrast, is provided for operational purposes such as electromagnetic compatibility or interference reduction.

The two connections therefore use different symbols and should not be confused.

You Might Also Need These Symbols

Depending on the construction of your electrical product, see also the Functional Earth, Class II Double Insulated and other electrical safety symbols. Products subject to EU or UK conformity legislation may also require a CE or UKCA mark.

Download

Download the protective earth symbol below in SVG, PNG and PDF format.

Protective-earth-symbol-class-1.pngProtective-earth-symbol-class-1.svgProtective-earth-symbol-class-1.pdf

Use this symbol only to identify a protective earth terminal or connection. Do not use it for a functional earth connection.

Looking for another electrical marking? View all electronics symbols.