National Electrical Safety Month Reminder: Surge Protectors Alone are Not Designed to Handle a Direct Lightning Strike!

May 9, 2014 — May is National Electrical Safety Month and the Lightning Protection Institute (LPI) is joining the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) to raise awareness about the importance of electrical safety. Naturally, our focus is lightning. Lightning is an underrated and often forgotten electrical hazard, even though the most powerful electrical surges are typically caused by lightning.

Lightning is the rapid discharge of atmospheric electricity that can pack up to 200 kA of electric energy (100 million volts of power). A lightning strike to an unprotected structure can be disastrous and a single incident can cost thousands of dollars, with losses ranging from damage to expensive electronics to fires that destroy entire buildings. No surge protection device or “whole-house” arrester alone can protect a structure from a direct lightning strike packing mega electric energy. A grounding network for lightning must be implemented, as well to provide structural protection.

Prior to the age of electronics, the threat to structures from lightning was primarily fire-related. Enhanced communications lines, power and generation systems and gas and water piping have since created induction problems for today’s structures, allowing lightning’s access through energized lines or system grounds. Decades ago, the introduction of low voltage wiring and electronically controlled building components presented a new vulnerability to lightning. To address these concerns, lightning protection standards were updated in the 1990’s, thus adding provisions for grounding and new criteria for lightning arresters and surge protection devices.

Now fast forward to 2014 and lightning protection is meeting the needs of safety, technology and design. National safety standards for lightning protection systems call for practical and tested solutions to protect a structure, its occupants, contents, equipment and operations. A complete system includes: strike termination devices, conductors, ground terminals, interconnecting bonding to minimize side flashing, and surge protection devices for incoming power, data and communication lines to prevent harmful electrical surges. Additional connectors, fittings or bonding for CSST gas piping may be required and surge protection devices for vulnerable appliances may be needed, as well. The grounding network provided by a properly installed system is a total package protection approach. In a nutshell:

Surge protection + grounding network = lightning protection.

So while you’re enjoying the May flowers, make sure your lightning protection complies with recognized safety standards of LPI, NFPA and UL. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May to increase public awareness of electrical hazards. For more information about ESFI and electrical safety, visit www.esfi.org