The number of lightning strikes occurring in the UK is increasing every year. In some cases, external bodies such as your insurer may be the driving force to implement effective protection.

Are you protected?

If not you are at risk from:

• Serious structural damage
• Fire
• Loss of power
• Loss of IT systems - hardware/software/data
• Loss of CCTV and alarm facilities (security risk)
• Damage or loss of technical equipment
• Cost - reparations, chaos & disruption, non-productive time

Even if you think you are protected your lightning protection
system may not be working as it should.

So, are you really protected?

To ensure you stay fully protected Heyrod offers:

• Surveys and inspections
• Upgrades of existing systems
• Design of systems
• Full lightning protection installations
• Full maintenance and inspection contracts

The heating and magnetic forces produced by the high currents of a lightning strike can cause structural damage (direct effects), and the associated electric and magnetic fields can induce transients which may damage or disrupt electrical equipment (indirect effects).

Operators of systems which are critical to safety need to know that these functions will not be jeopardised by lightning effects. Lightning damage may also lead to expensive downtime and repairs.

Packing up to 100 million volts of electricity, a bolt of lightning has the power to rip through roofs, explode walls of brick and concrete and ignite deadly fires. Most tragically, lightning kills.

The cost of lightning strikes to businesses is staggering. Millions of pounds are spent by corporations every year as a result of lightning damage to commercial properties. Insurance claims, destruction of equipment, fire damage, production and inventory loss can result from a single lightning strike.

Most buildings are vulnerable to lightning damage especially buildings with multiple service entrances, the use of isolated building components and the costly hi-tech equipment housed within. In addition to actual property loss, lightning damage to communication lines and computer equipment can result in extended downtime for your corporation.

Lightning causes damage to buildings and equipment in three different ways:

1. There can be damage as a result of a direct lightning strike. Such damage includes roofing materials, structures such as chimneys, heating or air conditioning units located on the roof or exterior of a building, or fires caused by lightning igniting combustible material, such as wood-frame buildings or flammable liquids or vapours.
2. Part of the lightning current can be carried inside a building by electric power, telephone, analog or digital data lines (e.g., closed circuit television cameras, sensors in an industrial plant, etc.). This direct injection of lightning current inside a building can cause immense damage to electrical – and especially electronic – circuits and equipment.
3. The electromagnetic fields from the current in a lightning stroke can induce currents and voltage in wire and cables inside a building. Such surge currents are typically less intense than direct injection of current, but can easily vaporize integrated circuits in computers, modems, electronic control circuits, etc.

Click here to view examples of damage caused by lightning strikes.

It has taken over 20 years and literally 100s of lightning protection experts from 28 different countries to write, but it¡¦s finally here. The new British Standard for Lightning Protection; British Standard European Norm BSEN 62305 has arrived.

The installation of Lightning Protection systems is currently governed by BS6651.
BS6651 was published 22 years ago and updated in 1999 and 2005.

BSEN 62305 is the new European Standard launched last year and originates from the standards set out in both the IECs and CENELECs standards.
The British Standard publication is to run in parallel with the new European Standard until August 2008 at which time BS6651 will become redundant.

The design and risk assessment will be the main part of an install.
Bonding will no longer be used and will be replaced with air termination rods at set distances from metal objects depending on various factors:

• Fabric
• Height
• Location
• Amount of occupants
• Building content

Heyrod Projects are fully prepared for this transition and have fully trained installation engineers that can install and test LP systems to the new European standards.

Please view the photographs of Lightning Protection installations carried out by Heyrod Projects.