To expand on Niko's question .... let's assume a steel cover that rests in a steel frame when the cover is closed.
Would bonding the frame alone be enough? Can the simple contact of the lid resting on the frame provide an adequate bond?
I'm not at all worried about metal covers on light pole bases; as far as I'm concerned, the mounting screws ensure a bond to the pole.
What I'm imagining is a cover at grade, where the wires were either damaged by getting pinched between the frame and the cover, of by simple friction of the wire rubbing against the cover every time the cover shifts with traffic.
I think there have been enough accidents for this to be a risk we need to address. The issue is also complicated by the inability to replace older boxes, and the absence of any need for these handholes to be listed. That is, there may not be an easy means of bonding provided, and we'll have to design it ourselves.
