Guide for Protection of Equipment and Personnel from Lightning

Abstract

Workable special protection methods to prevent lightning damage to equipment and possible harm to associated working personnel are presented. This document covers protection methods for ground potential rise, isolation, shielding, and grounding from lightning. Be warned: Protecting a structure from lightning does very little to protect the equipment within that structure, and the housed equipment is normally worth many times the value of the structure. Lightning damage to equipment results in losses exceeding twenty-six billion dollars annually in North America and nearly three times that worldwide, with more than 150 strikes per second. Insurance payout resulting from lightning damage accounts for approximately 6.5% of all property and casualty claims. Ironically, nearly all lightning damage to equipment can be prevented.