LIGHTNING PROTECTION GUIDE CHECK LIST
FOR
RISK MANAGEMENT
KEY ELEMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE PROTECTION OF EQUIPMENT & PERSONNEL FROM LIGHTNING
Use current division to control the dissipation of lightning strike
energy on an antenna tower grounding system through multiple paths
- Separate the antenna tower from the equipment building by a minimum of 30 feet
- Use only a single point grounding system for the equipment building
- Use a bulkhead panel/waveguide hatch for all coaxial cable entry into the equipment
building
- 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
- Isolate all wire-line communication services from remote ground with optical
devices or isolation transformers
- 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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Storm Dot Com
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Unregulated Power Market
PCS Locations in High-Voltage Corridors
Be alert to the Danger of GPR
On the Road With Ernie
Great Balls of Fire!
Destructive Surges
Wireline Isolation Theory and Application
When to Protect Cell Sites from GPR
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