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LIGHTNING PROTECTION GUIDE
CHECKLIST FOR
RISK MANAGEMENT


KEY ELEMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE PROTECTION OF EQUIPMENT & PERSONNEL FROM LIGHTNING

  1. Use current division to control the dissipation of lightning strike energy on an antenna tower grounding system through multiple paths

  2. Separate the antenna tower from the equipment building by a minimum of 30 feet

  3. Use only a single point grounding system for the equipment building

  4. Use a bulkhead panel/waveguide hatch for all coaxial cable entry into the equipment building

  5. Coordinate the location of the (1) bulkhead panel bond, (2) power and telecommunications entry bond, (3) bond between antenna & equipment building, at the single point ground connection, and (4) building master ground bar

  6. Isolate all wire-line communication services from remote ground with optical devices or isolation transformers

  7. Use AC power surge protection at main power entry and critical secondary panels


WHO NEEDS TO USE THE RECOMMENDED GUIDE FOR THE PROTECTION OF EQUIPMENT & PERSONNEL FROM LIGHTNING?

To determine the potential for equipment damage or destruction and personnel injury or death from a lightning strike, perform the following risk evaluation. Count the number of bullets that describe conditions at your location:

  • Lightning damage has occurred here before.

  • Personnel are located here and use the equipment at this location.

  • This location is associated with an antenna tower that is within 50 feet.

  • This location is in an area of the country that has 30 or more thunderstorm days per year.

  • This location requires AC power, and does not have surge protected power panels.

  • This location requires wire-line telecommunication services which have not been isolated using optical isolation or isolation transformers.

  • All equipment in this location is not bonded together at one single point on the building grounding system.

  • This location has coaxial cables that come directly in the building without going through a bulkhead panel/waveguide hatch.

  • The associated antenna tower at this location does not have a grounding system made up of at least 200 feet of buried bare ground conducting wire with multiple paths (minimum of 5, each 40 feet in length) away from tower base.

     
  • This location has coaxial cables that enter at ceiling height (15 to 20 feet above ground level), and all equipment grounding is done at floor level or below.
  •  

    THE NUMBER OF BULLETS ABOVE THAT APPLY INDICATE YOUR EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL RISK:

    2 or less         --         Low    

          3 to 5              --        Moderate

    6 to 8              --        Severe

             9 or more       --         Critical    

    T0 REDUCE THE RISK
    FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE

    LIGHTNING PROTECTION GUIDE


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