Replace temporary static bonding cables if more than ______ of the cable strands are broken.

Replace temporary static bonding cables if more than ______ of the cable strands are broken.

• A. One Quarter
• B. 1/3
• C. One Half
• D. Two Thirds

Answer: (B)

Bonding cables must maintain good electrical continuity to prevent static buildup and possible ignition in explosive environments. These cables are made of many individual strands, so damage isn’t just cosmetic—the remaining strands have to carry the full bonding current. If more than about one-third of the strands are broken, the effective cross-sectional area becomes too small, increasing resistance and weakening the bond’s reliability. At that point, the bond could fail under normal conditions, creating a real risk of static discharge. So, replacing the cable once more than one-third of the strands are broken keeps the grounding path strong and the operation safe. Smaller amounts of damage might be acceptable in some contexts, but this threshold is used to ensure dependable conductivity; thresholds like one quarter would be too lenient, while half or two-thirds would be unnecessarily conservative or impractical.