Lightning Safety Information

1
Lightning Safety Information

• Personal Safety
• Presented by Telcom Insurance Group

2
Lightning Is Serious

• 2000 thunderstorms globally at any one time
  producing some 100 lightning strikes to Earth per
  second 15-20 million in the US annually
  
• Average flash will light a 100 watt bulb for 3
  months
  
• Heat exceeds 50,000 degrees F (3 times hotter
  than the surface of the sun) 90,000
  miles/second bolt is 1-2 in wide
  
• Thunder (shock wave created by super heated air
  in the lightning channel) is always associated
  with lightning

3
Lightning is Serious

• 9 out of 10 people struck do survive the event
  100 people killed in US/year
  
• 25 of the survivors have long-term psychological
  or physiological trauma
  
• Empire State Building is struck on average 21-25
  time per year
  
• Good effect lightning produces nitrogen
  compounds that are important to plant growth
  

4
Costs Associated with Lightning Losses

• Fires ½ of western wildfires
• More than 125m in computer/laptop losses in
  1997
  
• 346 hits in 2000 to the 81 US nuclear sites
• St. Paul--1.7b or 8.7 of all claims for
  lightning
  
• 332 State Farm for the 307,000 lightning claims
• 2b annually in airline operating costs

5
Lightning Facts

• 2nd most frequent cause of weather-related
  deaths
  
• 40 in open fields 23 under trees 14
  boating/swimming 5 golf 5 heavy machinery
  4 telephone
  
• Gender 84 men 16 female
• Months June 21 July 30 August 22

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Lightning Facts Cont

• Days of the week Sun/Sat/Wed
• Times of the day 2p-6p (late afternoon)
• Deaths by state FL,MI,TX,NY,TN
• Injuries by state FL,MI,PA,NC,NY
• Lightning plan should be in your safety manual
  education is key designate a chain of command
  

7
Safety for Outdoor Workers

• Check local forecasts on the Weather channel or
  NOAA weather radio (at the jobsiteespecially in
  summer months) since there are no NWS warnings.
  
• Safe shelters include fully enclosed metal
  vehicles with windows up, large permanent
  buildings, low ground
  
• Unsafe areas include near flag poles, fences,
  light poles, trees, open fields, golf carts,
  picnic pavilions, bus stops

8
Personal Safety Tips-Outdoors

• Plan in advance your evacuation/safety measures
  (look for dark clouds and increased wind and/or
  you hear thunder)
  
• Avoid water, high ground, open spaces, metal
  objects find shelter in a substantial building
  get in catcher position with hands over your
  ears
• Suspend activities for 30 minutes after last
  lightning/thunder
  
• Injured persons do not carry an electrical
  charge apply first-aid (if youre trained) and
  call 911 (most die from heart attacks/stopping
  breathing)

9
Safety for Outdoor Workers

• Lightnings distance Count the time from the
  flash to the bangfor each 5 seconds between, the
  lightning is 1 mile away (activate lightning
  safety plan at count of 30 or 6 miles away) and
  dont resume activities for 30 minutesits
  called the 30-30 rule
• Hair standing on end and/or hearing crackling
  noises means youre in lightnings electric
  field. Immediately remove all metal and get in
  the feet together crouched position, duck your
  head, and cover your ears with your hands
  (catchers position).

10
Personal Safety Tips-Indoors

• Avoid water stay away from windows and doors
  dont talk on corded phone turn-off and unplug
  electrical appliances avoid plumbing (laundry,
  showers, dishes are all not a good idea)
• Enters building from direct strike, through
  wires/pipes that extend outside, or through the
  ground
  
• Phone is the leading cause on indoor injuries

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Personal Safety Tips-Indoors

• At homedont forget the pets (dog houses are not
  lightning-safe and dogs chained to trees or metal
  posts can easily fall victim to a lightning
  strike
• Suspend activities for 30 minutes after last
  lightning/thunder
  
• Injured persons do not carry an electrical
  charge apply first-aid (if youre trained) and
  call 911
  

12
Survivor Stories from NWS

• Jennifer (inside on cell phone) has numbness,
  temp lower body paralysis
  
• Dave (while fishing) has burns on 60 of his
  body
  
• Todd (inside his garage, working on vehicle) has
  short-term memory loss and chronic pains
  
• Mike (on a golf course in Cape Code) is
  completely paralyzed

13
If you can see it, flee it If you can hear it,
clear it.

• Education is the key to reducing
• lightning casualties!
• www.telcominsgrp.com or 800-222-4664