inverters

Most likely.

You won't get an electric shock if you touch both the chassis and a faulty device connected to the inverter.

To avoid a potential difference between the inverter and the battery as there will be a large current flowing and the contacts may be bad.

It could be either.

Best, Wolf

It should be.

you think you have problems think about boats that are floating on water :)

A battery would float, so you could get a largish current flowing between 'earths'

From what I understand the Earth and neutral are connected together at power stations and tyhat the neutral can float a couple of volts about earth. I think the idea of earth is more of a safety feature as it's not used for anything else.

whisky-dave was thinking very hard :

The earth is connected to neutral at your local sub-station and /or (depending on your supply system) at your own meter. There is no neutral as such at the generator or the power station, only the three phases referenced to earth.

I think you'll find carbon-rich tyre rubber conducts passably.

Fresh or salt?

Batteries are far too heavy to float. What? Oh _electrically_ :P

Andy