To reduce burning and melting effects infaulted electrical equipment, such as switchgear, transformers, cables androtating machines.

To reduce mechanical stresses in circuitsand apparatus carrying fault currents

To reduce electrical-shock hazards topersonnel caused by stray ground fault currents in the ground return path

To reduce the arc blast or flash hazard topersonnel who may have accidentally caused or who happen to be in closeproximity to the ground fault.

To reduce the momentary line-voltage dipoccasioned by the occurrence and clearing of a ground fault.

To secure control of the transientover-voltages while at the same time avoiding the shutdown of a facilitycircuit on the occurrence of the first ground fault (high resistance grounding)