Generator earthing

While waiting for parts for my Villiers engine I am doing what I can on the rest of my generator.
I am about to wire up the output panel of my Allam generator. Rated at 240v @ 8.3amp the unit has 2 IP44 mains sockets (3 pin 13a) protected by a fuse and a neon indicator to display a live output. The output can be turned off in effect by a switch which removes the energising supply to the rotor.
My question is regarding earthing, the earth pins of the sockets I was planning on connecting to the metalwork of the complete generator but should I allow for an additional 'earth spike' to be inserted into the ground? and what to do regarding earth when operated on hard standing?

Alan

All the modern 240vac generators I have/owned all have ground earth points to connect a stake but I've never used them, the outlet and appliance are earthed together but I suppose in a fault situation there is a possibility of getting a shock should you touch for instance a caravan and generator together which I would say is highly unlikely.

Maryalice

It's probably more dangerous to hammer in an earth spike when not knowing what is buried beneath you, you also need equipment to check the earth spike is doing what it needs to be doing.
We've had to water earth spikes in the past to maintain good earth.

You probably safer by NOT connecting the earth pin on the sockets to the metal generator frame and not using an earth stake.

If you think about it you need a path between live and neutral/earth to cause harm so with the earth "floating" on the generator and it's connected equipment you would need to touch exposed wiring on both live and neutral at the same time.

You have to remember that portable generator and domestic wiring is different in that domestic has the neutral and earth bonded so at the same potential.

Most interesting! Having not been able to find any info on its original wiring I just wondered what the 'normal' wiring of a generator was. When I investigated the original wiring the earth pins were connected to the socket box but not wired directly to the generator frame, although none of it looked very original being connected with 2.5mm2 household twin and earth!

Alan