Earth (ground) sign
Marks an earth (ground) terminal in cases where neither the protective earth sign (5019) nor the functional earth sign (5018) is specifically required.
Symbol reference: IEC 60417-5017
A mark tells you what the maker declares, never that the product is safe.
- What it looks like
- A vertical line ending in three horizontal bars that get shorter towards the bottom, with no circle or arch round it.
- Who may apply it
- The equipment maker, on an earth terminal where neither the protective nor the functional earth symbol is specifically required.
What it does not promise
On its own it does not say whether the terminal gives shock protection or is only functional. The protective earth has its own sign, the earth in a circle, so check the manual before relying on this terminal for safety.
Other marks with the same shapes
Sources
Each page below was fetched and read on the date shown. Where a symbol’s IEC 60417 or ISO 7000 number is given, a public page listing that number is among them.
- Wikimedia Commons: File page transcribing IEC 60417 entry 5017 (title, function) — Symbol 5017 from IEC 60417, “Earth; ground”: to identify an earth (ground) terminal in cases where neither the symbol 5018 nor 5019 is explicitly required. Checked 2026-09-24.
Written in our own words; quotations are the sources’ wording.