Wondering if your LPS design or installation meets industry guidelines and requirements? Not sure if your project specifications comply with nationally-recognized safety Standards? A third-party quality control inspection is your key to quality assurance.
While experts agree that quality control is a key component for safe and effective lightning protection, knowing where to turn for up-to-date and accurate lightning protection information can be difficult. And with quality control concerns increasing in the construction marketplace, best practices for lightning protection system (LPS) specification, design and installation are more important than ever before.
Why LPS Inspection is an important component in the “Build & Protect” process
A single bolt of lightning can generate up to 200 kA of destructive electric current, making lightning protection an important amenity for designers seeking to Build & Protect against a leading weather threat that’s responsible for over a billion dollars in property damage every year. Most of lightning-related property losses can be minimized, if not eliminated, through the implementation of safety Standard-compliant LPS for structures. Third-party inspection can identify the LPS oversights, improper materials or methods, issues with Standard compliance and the need for repairs or recommended maintenance. The Lightning Protection Institute Inspection Program (LPI-IP) provides a lightning protection inspection and certification service more thorough and more complete than any previous inspection program from the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI) or any other service currently on the market. By incorporating checkpoints, reviews and inspections, the LPI-IP certification program ensures safety and peace of mind to building owners about the U.S.
“The value received from a lightning protection system begins with proper design, continues through quality installation practices and must include inspection and certification,” explained Bud VanSickle, executive director for LPI. “The LPI-IP program responds to the designer’s ultimate ‘Build & Protect’ lightning protection goal to provide safety, security of investment and elimination of potential system downtime. The program was created to provide the most complete inspection service for LPS in terms of safety, quality control and professionalism,” added VanSickle.
Key Components of the LPI-IP Inspection Program
- LPI-IP keeps pace with technology by providing system certifications with a three-year expiration date to complement the NFPA 780 three-year code review cycle and process.
- LPI-IP is serving a growing need for property owners, designers, architects and builders as a comprehensive third-party inspection approach for commercial and residential projects.
- LPI-IP inspections are accepted in MasterSpec as a quality control inspection option for lightning protection.
- LPI-IP services include design review by a professional engineer, documentation of concealed components and verification of grounding and NRTL* field inspection of rooftop LPS.
- LPI-IP enjoys recognition by the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), with services reported in press releases and industry communications.
- LPI-IP provides three different types of certifications and inspection options (LPI-IP Master Installation, LPI-IP Reconditioned Master Installation and LPI-IP Limited Scope) to address any type of project.
- LPI-IP offers users the option of Standard specific inspections (LPI175, NFPA 780 and/or UL96A), to accommodate market needs and a wider range of projects.
- Unlike other inspection services in the market, LPI-IP does not provide certification for unconventional or non-Standard LPS methods or devices. For your safety and quality assurance, LPI-IP only recognizes systems which comply with Nationally-recognized safety Standards.
- LPI-IP is the industry’s fastest growing lightning protection inspection service, with a 300% growth rate since 2011.
LPI-IP inspection and certification services provide peace of mind to ensure materials and methods comply with recommended practices and industry safety Standards. For more information about the LPI-IP Program, visit www.lpi-ip.com or contact:
Tim Harger, LPI-IP Program Manager, 14048 W. Petronella Drive, Suite 104, Libertyville, Illinois 60048, Phone: 224-433-6680, info@lpi-ip.com
For additional information about LPI and lightning protection, visit www.lightning.org.
*Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory
