What must be ensured about the equipment grounding conductors in relation to the bonded systems?

The requirement for equipment grounding conductors to be continuous through connections is crucial for ensuring safety and proper functioning of the electrical system. A continuous equipment grounding conductor establishes a reliable path for fault current to travel back to the ground, reducing the risk of shock or fire hazards. When connections are made between various components in a bonded system, it is important that the grounding conductors remain unbroken. This continuity helps maintain the integrity of the grounding system, ensuring that any fault condition can be effectively managed.

Having a continuous path also facilitates the operation of overcurrent protective devices, like circuit breakers, which rely on fault currents to detect issues and trip accordingly. If there are breaks or discontinuities in the grounding path, it could prevent the device from functioning properly, leading to unsafe conditions.

The other options presented do not align with the best practice for grounding conductors. For instance, while insulation may be important in some contexts, grounding conductors typically do not need to be insulated as their primary role is to provide a low-resistance path to ground.