Nick,

Thanks for all your input and guidance in this issue. Including the reposting of this.
Before the thread was lost when the server crashed I said the information disseminated in the outreach program was bullshit. Since that original post and with your help we have established that it is a fact that this missinformation is on the OSHA government site. And guess what...It's still bullshit!

Now that we have also established my proclivity to political correctness..LOL lets see what we can do to fix the problem. As I suggested to you when you were kind enough to e-mail me with the URL and information, I can have this changed / fixed. Frequently electrically related technical information is "run by me" before going through all the other clearance hoops prior to posting. This one fell through the cracks or something. I'm also not consulted on a great many electrical issues prior to posting, for buracratic, political, organizational, and / or other constraints. Anyway on with the show or the fix or whatever.

Nick, your thecnical definition / explanation is absolutely correct. In a very technical environment (like an ecn forum) I might be inclined to use the slightly more technical term "impedance" instead of resistance. However I'm not quite sure either is appropriate given the context and intended audience. This 10 hour outreach safety training is basic safety (in all categories, general PPE, walking working surfaces, hand tools, ladders & scaffolds, fall protection, basic electrical, etc, etc) for general trades (could be anybody, carpenters, roofers, laborers, masons, plumbers, etc).
So the question I ask (as an educator and in the eyes of the student audience) what does that mean to me. Carry fault current back to where for what? For the benifit of the GC, or employer no doubt? To somehow save the elctricity? You would be surprised at what student think if they don't know the reason.

There are two questions to consider and keep distinctly seperate.
1. What is the purpose (function) of the equipment ground?
2. How does it work?

Nick I like your approach in your suggestion for rewording because you hit the mark in terms of purpose. I would suggest we underscore or
emphasize that and bring it right up front.

IT PREVENTS ELECTROCUTION in the event of a short or electrical malfunction in the tool.

Ask 100 workers (other than electricians) what the purpose of that ground pin /wire is and I'll be willing to bet very few state "Prevent Electrocution".
"To prevent electrocution!" That's the mindset I want to prepetuate. Now given the context it seems that we need to explain the function just a little and very basically to the point where we don't say anything technically wrong.

"Grounding prevents electrocution by carrying dangerous electrical current back to its source over a safe path and causes the circuit breaker or fuse to shut the circuit off instantaneously."

Just my first thought although I've been jaded because I frequently describe it this way to neophytes. Seems to work. Not that all the good folks on this forum don't have better ideas or ways to say it even more clearly and succinctly.

Just had another thought.

Grounding prevents electrocution, keeps dangerous currents on a safe electrical path (away from people), which trips the circuit breaker or fuse and shuts the circuit off instantaneously.

OK before I get rambling too much, let me know what you think. Again I thank you and all the participants on this site for your suppot and help. Together we can fix this and get the correct information to be disseminated.

OSHA Professor,
Grizzy