An Update to "Unapproved Lightning Protection Devices Fail to Prevent Fires at Oil Refineries," Issued October 3, 2013

HARTFORD, Conn., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –The Lightning Protection Institute (LPI) has been notified by Lightning Eliminators (LEC) in Boulder, Co, that the two lightning events that occurred at separate Venezuelan refineries in the summer of 2013 should not be directly attributed to the lightning protection systems, or lack thereof, at those locations.

According to LEC, none of their products were installed at the Puerto La Cruz refinery on or before October 3, 2013. Regarding the El Palito refinery, Avram Saunders, LEC president and CEO states that, “The Storage Tank struck at El Palito had no LEC lightning equipment on it or near it.” Saunders said that the lightning protection equipment that LEC did have at the El Palito location “had not been inspected, updated or repaired for over 16 years despite repeated information and recommendations given to PDVSA that the equipment that was previously installed could no longer be considered viable.”

LPI is a not-for-profit, nationwide group founded in 1955 to promote lightning safety, awareness and protection education. The organization provides a certification program to qualify competence in lightning protection installation, design and inspection in accordance with national safety standards of NFPA and UL. Visit the LPI website at www.lightning.org for more information.

SOURCE Lightning Protection Institute