10 Interesting Facts about Lightning

With lightning being a specialty here, we have decided to share with you 10 interesting facts about lightning!

1. A single bolt of lightning is around 50,000f or 5 times hotter than the surface of the sun.
2. The irrational fear of lightning is known as keraunophobia.
3. There are two types of lightning, negative strikes and positive strikes. Positive strikes are 5 times more powerful than negative strikes.
4. The odds of being struck by lightning in your lifetime is 1 in 3,000.
5. Most lightning strikes average at 2-3 miles long and carry a current of 10000 Amps at 100million volts.
6. Each second there are 50 to 100 Cloud-to-ground lightning strikes to the earth worldwide.
7. The Empire State Building in New York is struck 24 times a year and was once struck eight times in 24 minutes.
8. An average instance of lightning lasts about a quarter of a second and consists of 3-4 strikes
9. The energy contained from a single lightning strike can power a 100 watt light bulb for 90 days.
10. "Lightning never strikes twice" is just a myth, lightning can strike the same location many times.

Selecting Conductors For Your Lightning Protection System

One of the most important components of any lightning protection system is the actual lightning conductor. Conductors are available in two different materials, aluminium and copper and a range of different widths, the most common width used in the UK is 25x3mm.

Designers of lightning protection system will establish the correct width and length from the formulas needed to design the system to ensure the down conductors are capable of transferring the energy and forces of a lightning protection strike safely to earth.

To assist architects and designers of buildings conductors are also available in a wide selection of PVCs lightning protection is required for modern buildings there are a range of pvc covered colours for both aluminium and copper conductor tape. These colours such as black, green, grey, stone, white and brown have been selected to blend in with most modern buildings so the aesthetic impact of the conductor is reduced.

Conductors are also available in flat, solid circular and stranded versions. Flat tape lightning conductors are the most traditional and is also considered to be the easiest to install and where a degree of flexibility is required in a conductor there is also the option of fitting a copper braid.

Solid circular conductors are usually used in conditions where the aesthetic considerations are important, the solid circular conductors are still fairly easy to install but unlike the flat tape systems a straightening tool is required to achieve the desired finish, although it is rarely used in large applications there is also the option of using a stranded cable conductors.
If you require any assistance with the design of your lightning protection system or would like a sample of the products available please visit our ecommerce web site to request samples and assistance.

At Churchill’s we offer the complete solution from design to install however if you simply wish to purchase your lightning protection equipment and have it delivered anywhere in the UK within 3 working days this unique service is available via our on line store.

Lightning Protection Standards

The design of a suitable lightning protection system should always be undertaken by a suitably qualified BS EN 62305 2006 designer with certification to prove their competence, however unfortunately this is not always the case and unscrupulous designers have been known to deliberately under specify the design requirements ensuring they are then awarded the business.

At Churchill Specialist Contracting all Lightning protection designers are fully certificated and as part of very specialised and qualified team work under two renowned and highly beneficial quality systems: UKAS OHSAS 18001 and ISO 9001 both with LRQA. All directly employed site engineers are qualified to a minimum NVQ level 2 industry standard an achievement unparallel in the lightning protection sector.

Churchill Specialist Contracting offer two types of lightning protection the conventional Faraday cage type installation and the Pulsar ESE System of lightning protection that conforms to the European code NFC17-102 1995.

The BS EN 62305 2006 standard is split into 4 parts, Part 1 outlines the theory behind the protection methods that the other 3 parts require. Part 2 looks at risk management in installation and calculates the risk of loss of human life, loss of service to the public, loss of cultural heritage and loss of economic value. The third part details the protection measures required as a lightning protection system comprises of 3 main components, an air termination network to capture the lightning protection, down conductors to take the charge down to the ground and an earth termination system to disperse the lightning current safely to earth. Part 4 of the standard is the requirements to lightning protect electronic systems from a lightning electromagnetic impulse. Many modern systems need protection from the threat of lost and destroyed data, equipment damage, and repair work for remote and unmanned stations, loss of production and most importantly the reduction of a potential Health & Safety hazard.

Churchill Specialist Contractors offer onsite training via the OSAT route in the nationally recognised qualification NVQ. To qualify and work towards these qualification candidates must have 2 years Approved Prior Learning (APL) experience. As all Churchill’s directly employed engineers have this NVQ qualification you can be assured you are working with experienced and competent engineers.

So while lightning protection can be installed by contractors in closely related sectors such as electricians, alarm engineers etc if you don't want to take advantage of complete lightning protection installation services it is always worth having an inspection by a fully accredited company like Churchill Specialist Contracting to ensure lightning protection system will be effective and comply with all relevant standards.

The Importance of Lightning Protection

Lightning strikes are one of the most common occurrences on Earth and they happen everywhere on the planet and often are sudden and severe.

Lightning Protection is a consideration for all business owners, but it is something that often gets overlooked. Insurance is often the first place many business owners turn, but it may not be the best option instead the best option is to try and prevent damage/loss from occurring in the first place and lightning strikes are one of the most preventable disasters. Lightning can destroy entire neighborhoods, one strike can quickly turn a building into an inferno if the conditions are right, beyond fire damage lightning can cause electrical problems which can be very expensive to repair and cost businesses lost production time.

One of the easiest ways to remove the destructive force of a lightning strike is to channel the energy somewhere safe, if the lightning is directed into the earth without passing through non-conducting materials, like wood, brick, or concrete, damage will often be minimal or completely avoided. When this path is created, it is called earthing, Earthing is easily the most effective way to protect a building but it can't completely protect the electrical systems contained within a building.

Electrical components in a lightning struck building are vulnerable to damage even when a building is well grounded. If electrical items such as computers are damaged it can have a significant cost to a business. One way to prevent damage to electrical systems is via the installation of a Faraday Cage, a network/grid system that is designed to protect every part of a building and direct any strike through to earth. A second way to prevent damage to electrical systems during a lightning strike is to fit surge protection. Surge protectors are useful for dealing with extra electricity that can occur after a lightning strike. Surge protectors divert excess electricity before it can damage occurs within an electrical system contained within a building, surge protection is reliable and very cost-effective.

With lightning being one of the most common natural occurrences on the planet, it could be considered foolish to allow your business to remain unprotected.