Importance of Lightning Protection and Earthing
Lightning is an awe-inspiring natural phenomenon that can discharge up to 200,000 amps in a fraction of a second. A direct strike can have devastating effects on people, buildings and the natural environment. Especially during stormy seasons, we witness numerous accounts of people losing their lives due to lightning strikes. Beyond this obvious impact of lightning, the voltage spikes that accompany even indirect strikes can be catastrophic to a building’s electronic systems. With the advent of sensitive electronic equipment in our everyday life in recent times, the importance of proper protection has become extremely critical.
In order to fully protect themselves, buildings and other structures must use Lightning Protection and Earthing equipment that has been designed and tested according to the best international standards. Axis products, which are designed in accordance with these international standards, help customers identify the risks and solutions to any lightning protection and earthing needs.
This blog is an introduction to the standards that help guide international lightning protection and earthing/grounding system design. Our next blog will look at system design and products.
Standards
(IEC)
The International Electrotechnical Commission prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies and is the leading international organization in its field.
IEC 62305 – Protection Against Lightning, is the apex level document that informs the standards for lightning protection around the world. Axis’s Risk Assessment software and our lightning protection and earthing products are designed to work with systems designed as per IEC 62305.
UL & CSA are North American certification bodies that are followed widely in the US, Canada and other parts of the world.
UL 467: Grounding and Bonding Equipment, UL 96A: Installation requirement and C22 for lightning protection system are few important standards in this field.