Lightning and Earthing Protection in the UK

Everyone in the world has seen the tremendous power of lightning. It is beautiful but its power can be very destructive. Lightning strikes on average 2100 people a year and one third of those strikes have ended in death. Those individuals who have survived these strikes suffer from damage to the eardrums, vision, lungs, organs and the nervous system. Lightning protection for your building will help lower the risk to the people in your buildings. There are quite a few systems to help prevent damage to buildings and the people who are nearby.

Grounding structures against lightning is a good thing to start out with. This is generally an electrode that is buried in the ground. The electrode attracts currents and the electrical energy away from buildings. This helps reduce power surges to equipment inside and outside a building.
A Lightning Rod is the most common type of electrical storm prevention. It can usually be seen on top of tall buildings, where tall metallic poles attract the electrical currents. Though they are great at conducting the electrical currents away from the actual building it does not protect against power surges inside the building.


Downconductors are structures that are built at least 10 feet into the ground around the outside of a building. It draws the electrical energy away from the building and into the ground. It helps prevent a flashover, which is an unintended electrical discharge, which can damage buildings or personnel nearby. Bonding is a form of downconductor that protects metallic structures like AC, Gas, water pipes, and signal lines and prevents them from attracting lightning. Transients and Surges help protect against electrical surges. It stops currents and blocks energy from traveling through wires. To get the full efficiency of this protection it should be paired with lightning rods or external building protectors. These will help prevent damage to any kind of electronic device that can occur during a lightning strike.

The last defense is a Detection which is a warning system that protects buildings and power lines before an electrical storm occurs. It can be used to disconnect power lines or keep them on standby for need. This does help reduce damage from lightning strikes but it does not use all the necessary information about electrical storms.

As you can see there are many different forms of lightning protection. It is vital that buildings be equipped with these safety measures to ensure that the occupants and the building are secure from lightning strikes. Choose a company that uses high quality material and is equipped for dealing with any need of your business. Churchill Steeplejacks is the experienced company for you.

The Importance of Lightning Protection

The Importance of Lightning Protection


Lightning strikes approximately 2100 people a year worldwide and one third of those strikes, called strokes, result in death. The people that live are never quite the same. Physical and emotional difficulties tend to plague them the rest of their lives. Heart attacks, burst eardrums, optical impairment, damage to the lungs and other organs, as well as the nervous system are quite common.

Golfing, boating, swimming, standing under a tree, talking on the phone, using water and operating electrical appliances seem to be the activities which draw the greatest number of strikes. Air travel is relatively safe; planes usually have an aluminum outer shell, which is a good conductor of electricity. Lightning is potentially hazardous to all electrical devises. There is a variety of lightning and sudden surge protectors on the market today. Grounding any structure is important. Grounding permits dispersion of electricity and conduction into the ground, where it is less harzardous.


The importance of lightning protection cannot be stressed enough. It is difficult to make lightning protectors for individuals, because people represent constantly moving objects. The greatest available protection for human life is to remain indoors. If a person is out of doors, then it is vital either to be in a car touching no metal, or to be at the lowest elevation possible, such as a valley. Be aware. Listen for the timing between lightning and its resultant thunder. Fifteen to thirty seconds between the two offers a warning that the strike is extremely close. Therefore, finding appropriate shelter as quickly as possible is necessary. Water is a good conductor of electricity due to its positive molecular charge. If there is a “downed” power line lying in water, it can be fatal to walk through that water.

Can a fraction of one second change a person’s whole life? We all know the answer to that question is “yes!” It is a good idea to become learned on the subject of lightning. It is a great idea to do the research and understand the importance of lightning protection “before it strikes!”

Chimney Inspections

The inspection of single flue industrial chimneys is regulated by the HSE document GS53 and the ATLAS guidance booklet that builds upon the HSE document GS53.

The self supporting single flue steel chimney has commonly been used for a period in excess of 35 years during which time many have seen a change over from serving coal to oil through to the modern day gas fired boilers. This change over in fuels has left its own legacy creating very corrosive environments, this coupled with the effects of the UK climate has led to a large number of this type of structures ultimately failing, hence the HSE Guidance Note GS 53 was published in 2001.

For multi flue industrial steel chimneys the inspection guidance issued for single flue steel chimneys does not apply, the inspection of a steel multi flue chimney i.e where the waste gases do not come into direct contact with the main supporting structure, is covered in Appendix A of BS 4076 :1989.

At present there is currently no inspection guidance for concrete or brick chimneys, however due to the harsh environments and processes related to their use it is prudent to regularly inspect concrete and brick chimneys to ensure they remain in a serviceable condition.

A chimney inspector must be able to prove competency and experience with a minimum preference of being industry qualified via the NVQ route.

Work at Height Hierarchy of Risk

Via risk assessment the use of a mewp to facilitate access to structures should always be the access method of choice particuarly for the completion of surveys.

In the uk truck mounted MEWPS can provide access up to working heights upwards of 70 metres.

During a recent meeting between the hse and the steeplejack federation ATLAS the hse voiced their concerns into the mindset of the steeplejack industry in relation to risk assessments for working at height and our industries continued insistance to survey structures using traditional ladders as apose to MEWPS.

Wherever it is practicable to do so Churchills always look to employ MEWPS for completing surveys of structures up to 70 metres, unfortunetly industry as a whole needs educating in relation to the Work at Height Regs it is only then that the additional cost for the use of MEWPS will become broadly accepted.

Range Rover Vogue Fails to Start Through Winter

Somewhat embarrassingly the one year old range rover vogue owned by Churchills MD has broken down for the fourth time in three months leaving him stranded yet again.

Land Rover have been unable to locate a problem that completely drains power from the battery when temperatures fall below zero, having had two new batteries installed the car continues to not start in the mornings.

Land Rover continue to deny there is an issue with the car (try telling our MD that when the second time it wouldn’t start almost caused him to miss a flight for his family holiday) and reject any request to swap the vehicle.

It would appear land rover are prepared to simply bury their heads in the sand until the next cold snap comes along towards the rear of 2010 and if our MD still owns the car get ready for more head scratching sessions as they search in vain for the cause behind the vehicle not starting

Money vs Safety

Can it really be true that in difficult financial times money men are potentially placing their employers at risk?

During the recent financial climate as an organisation who supply to many blue chip organisations, councils and government establishments throughout the UK it has been very disconcerting and somewhat alarming to witness the swing in the ethos of many in relation to the awarding of their contracts on a heavily cost weighted basis.

The steeplejack & lightning protection industry has taken huge strides in recent years to improve both it’s professionalism and quality of service within the construction sector, in the main this has been achieved by a change in the mindset of business owners with particular emphasis being placed on training and development and also a reduction in the amount of sub contractor labour otherwise known as ‘price work’.

All the hard work and gains made by many in our sector is now seriously under threat as the money men within awarding organisations look to cut costs by awarding contracts seemingly compromising on the level of training achievement and accreditation that is otherwise available.

The steeplejack sector in particular has long been an industry where little encouragement is required for those businesses less willing to train and achieve to take full advantage of such an opportunity, a fact that many of the long established steeplejack business will echo.
The outcome? - Sadly whilst those companies’s in our sector who have failed to invest in the development of their business benefit from an increase in activity those who have invested heavily in their business are left fighting a battle for contracts and as part of that battle face an uphill challenge in convincing the money men of the folly of their ways.

A tender recently received by Churchill’s issued by a UK council stated that the tender evaluation process would consist of 60% cost & 40% ability, in the world we live and in particular in our potentially high risk sector should the aforementioned ratios stated in the councils tender not require exchanging?

OHSAS 18001 2007

In theory the attainment of OHSAS 18001 2007 should serve to provide a springboard for any organisation to expand their market share via clearly being able to demonstrate to potential clients their proven and documented approach to health & safety in the work place.

However the sad truth is that organisations including blue chips fail to fully grasp the importance of such an accreditation and those that do are slow to promote a preference to working with companies who have achieved OHSAS 18001 2007 throughout their organisation.

This can be vey frustrating, listening on one hand to organisations promoting their values and approach to H&S but in reality experiencing their failings in ensuring companies holding such accreditations are actively promoted from within.

The most frustrating scenario is the one of familiarity, often large blue chips operate as satellites and the selection of a contractor can often be purely based on experience e.g having used a particular company for years.

Regardless of this Churchill Steeplejacks are still very proud to be the first Steeplejack company to be accredited to this standard.