Warning of fire dangerous lightning
Beautiful and warm summer days are often followed by strong thunderstorms. Such storms accompanied by lightning are part of the summer period. Lightning strikes cannot be prevented, but they pose a risk to people and buildings. The safety tips of the Fire Prevention Advisory Service show how to behave and protect yourself correctly.
Every year, around 10,000 lightning bolts strike buildings in Switzerland. At the points of impact, the temperature can reach up to 30,000 degrees Celsius. This makes lightning a fire hazard for unprotected buildings. In the worst case, direct lightning strikes can set entire buildings on fire. More common, however, are indirect lightning strikes. These result in particular in damage to electrical equipment such as televisions, computers or heating controls.
Lightning protection systems protect
Lightning strikes cannot be prevented. However, lightning protection systems protect buildings from major damage. They deflect the strikes and ensure that lightning is almost harmless to buildings. Although the installation of such a system is only mandatory for buildings at particular risk, the Fire Prevention Advisory Service a general installation. The cost of a lightning protection system is usually one to two percent of the building insurance value. In buildings without lightning protection systems, all plugs should be unplugged during a thunderstorm or sensitive devices should be equipped with surge protection. This protective device can be installed by specialists without major effort.
Precautionary measures during thunderstorms in houses without lightning protection system
- For sensitive electrical appliances such as televisions and computers, it is worth installing a surge protector. Otherwise, the plugs of the devices should be unplugged during a thunderstorm.
- Avoid contact with metal pipes such as gas and water pipes, electrical installations or antenna cables.
- In the middle of the room is the safest during a thunderstorm. Protection is also provided by cars, railroad carriages or camping trailers.
Source: Fire Prevention Advisory Board
Lightning protection systems
Lightning protection systems are also addressed in the VKF fire protection guidelines (here).
The requirements for lightning protection systems are regulated as follows:
- VKF Fire Protection Guideline 22-15 "Lightning Protection Systems" specifies where and when buildings must be equipped with lightning protection systems.
- How a lightning protection system must be designed and installed is described in the current state of the art papers (rules CES). "Lightning protection systems SNR 464022" regulated.
- When planning modernizations and/or extensions of lightning protection systems, the existing system must be checked and, if necessary, adapted to the current rules of technology.
- Column A of the table in the Annex to Section 2 of VKF Fire Protection Guideline 22-15 "Lightning Protection Systems" applies to the requirements for the lightning protection class for external lightning protection.
