With over 3,000,000 strikes daily and 1,400,000,000 per year worldwide lightning is far from a rare phenomenon. In Great Britain alone there are reckoned to be approx. 300,000 lightning strikes to ground and on average 30-60 people are struck each year, very sadly a small percentage do not survive.
Another interesting fact about Lightning is its speed, most people will remember the light from the flash which itself will travel at 670,000,000 mph9 the speed of light whilst the strike itself will travel at a more modest 270,000 mph.
The design and installation of an appropriate level of lightning protection is as important as any other safety measure and a risk you ignore at your peril!
With the knowledge of the above facts it’s easy to see that Lightning is a powerful force from which there are serious risks to both people and property if not properly protected.
A lightning strike to or nearby a structure can cause physical damage with the potential to lead to fire, explosion or damage to human life, building services and infrastructure, the effects can put critical services at risk such as in hospitals and are potentially crippling to economies and to businesses alike.
People can also be at risk from voltages transmitted through the structures or soil, you need not be struck directly to suffer serious injury.
