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Lightning and power surges

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Lightning strikes and power surges can cause extensive damage to electrical equipment and essential machinery, as well as cause data loss. 

Lightning strikes the earth 20 million times each year, starting fires and causing property damage through power surges.

It’s important to understand that your building does not itself have to be struck by lightning. The strike can be some distance away and your equipment still affected.

Key actions to prevent damage due to power surges and lightning strikes

  • Assess how your business premises might be damaged or disrupted if they were to be affected by a lightning strike, particularly in relation to computer and telecommunication systems. This will enable you to decide what protection measures are required.

    - Our business impact assessment tool may help with the assessment by giving an idea of how long it would take for the business to recover should the premises be impacted by lightning or a power surge.
  • Keep back-up data in different locations so that in the aftermath of an incident involving corruption or loss you can return to ‘business as usual’ far more quickly than otherwise.

    - Review our guidance about data management for more tips about this.
  • Consider a structural lightning protection system (LPS) and Surge Protection Measures (SPM) by means of an LEMP Protection Measures System (LPMS) if you decide that your premises are at significant risk from lightning or associated power surges.
  • Make sure any LPMS you get is designed, installed and maintained in accordance with BS EN 62305 by a specialist lightning protection contractor.
  • Protective earthing for electrical installations should be done in accordance with the BS 7430 code of practice.
  • Think about whether it would be appropriate for workers to be equipped with portable surge protectors, or their equipment modified (following manufacturer’s guidance) to include in-built surge protection – particularly where they’re working on third party’s sites.
  • Ensure all work at height involved in the installation or maintenance of a lightning/surge protection system is done safely and with all duties outlined in the Work at Height Regulations (WAHR) met, regardless of whether it’s an employee or third party contractor carrying out the work.

Relevant suppliers

There's a variety of products and services available through our preferred suppliers scheme for Allianz Commercial policyholders that can provide a defence against lightning and power surges.

Power surge protection

Inspection services

Electrical fire suppression

H&S and fire training

Additional resources

Getting the standard right

Find information on regulations that you and your business may need to comply with.
 
A-Z of legislation

Products and services

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Related topics

Lightning and power surges need to be considered for a number of elements in your business’s risk management strategy, such as:
CCTV
Contractors
Data management
Electric lift truck battery charging
Electrical and electronic equipment
Electrical installations
Finding and moving into new premises
Flooding
Intruder alarms
Machinery guarding and intervention
Passive fire protection
Wind and hail

Useful links for lightning and power surge protection

Get more information about protecting your electrical installations and electronics against lightning and power surges through these websites:
ATLAS (Association of Technical Lightning & Access Specialists)
BSI (British Standards Institution)
BS EN 62305 – Protection against lightning
BS 7420 – Code of practice for protective earthing of electrical installations
ECA (Electrical Contractors’ Association)
HSE (Health and Safety Executive)
RISCAuthority
SELECT (Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland)
SLPTG (Steeplejack and Lightning Protection Training Group)

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