Lightning Safety

• There are approximately 25 million lightning flashes each year in the U.S, which result with an average of 62 deaths and at least 300 injuries annually. Employees should prepare and have protection measures in place against lightning at home, office, and the workplace.
• Prepare for lightning strikes. Consider installing a lightning protection system to ground your house and equipment, surge arresters to prevent surges from entering your home or other structures on power or telephone lines, and transient voltage surge suppressors in receptacles to limit the voltage on equipment.
• Have an emergency plan in the office, disaster area, and at home. Communicate safe areas and practices to employees and family members. These include how to shelter during a thunderstorm; how and when to turn off gas, electricity, and water; how and when to call 911, police, and fire department; and which radio station to tune to for emergency information.
• Anticipate thunderstorms ahead. Watch for dark, towering, or threatening clouds; expect an approaching thunderstorm when you see a flash of lightning, hear thunder roll, or when your hair stands on end; observe weather alerts issued by the National Weather Service on TV or radio. Seek a safe shelter (i.e.; enclosed building, car etc.) immediately when a thunderstorm approaches.
• If outdoors, avoid tall trees, water, grouping with other people, metal fences, convertibles, gazebos, picnic shelters, toss golf clubs, fishing rods, tennis rackets, baseball bats, tools, and walking sticks. If no safe shelter is available, crouch down on your feet; keep hands on your knees and lower your head. Get as low as possible. DO NOT touch the ground with hands or knees; DO NOT lie down!
• If indoors, disconnect and turn off all electrical devices and do not touch them during the storm. Avoid water, doors, and windows; do not use the telephone.
• It is safe to help injured individual; they do not carry an electrical charge. Apply first aid if you are qualified. Call 911 immediately.

1. MYTH: Lightning Never Strikes The Same Place Twice

   TRUTH: Lightning often strikes the same place repeatedly, especially if it’s a tall pointy isolated object. The Empire
   State Building used to be used as a lightning laboratory, since it is hit nearly 25 times a year. Places prone
   to lightning are places to avoid when thunderstorms are nearby!

2. MYTH: If It’s Not Raining, Or If Clouds Aren’t Overhead, I’m Safe From Lightning

   TRUTH: Lightning often strikes more than three miles from the thunderstorm, far outside the rain or even
   thunderstorm cloud. ‘Bolts From The Blue’, though infrequent, can strike 10-15 Miles from the thunderstorm.
   Anvil lightning can strike the ground over 50 Miles from the thunderstorm, under extreme conditions.
   Lightning in clouds has traveled over 100 miles from the thunderstorm.

3. MYTH: Rubber Tires Protect You From Lightning In A Car By Insulating You From The Ground

   TRUTH: Lightning laughs at two inches of rubber! Most cars are reasonably safe from lightning. But it’s the metal
   roof and metal sides that protect you, not the rubber tires. Thus convertibles, motorcycles, bicycles, open
   shelled outdoor recreational vehicles, and cars with plastic or fiberglass shells offer no lightning protection.
   Likewise, farm and construction vehicles with open cockpits offer no lightning protection. But closed cockpits
   with metal roof and sides are safer than going outside. And don’t even ask about sneakers! ☺

4. MYTH: A Lightning Victim Is Electrified. If You Touch Them, You’ll Be Electrocuted.

   TRUTH: The human body doesn’t store electricity. It is perfectly safe to touch a lightning victim to give them first aid.
   This is the most chilling of lightning myths. Imagine someone dying needlessly, for want of simple CPR or
   mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, when their chances of survival was ~90%!

5. MYTH: If Outside In A Thunderstorm, Go Under A Tree To Stay Dry

   TRUTH: Being underneath trees is the second leading activity for lightning casualties – enough said?

6. MYTH: I’m In A House, I’m Safe From Lightning

   TRUTH: While a house is a good place for lightning safety, just going inside isn’t enough. You must avoid any
   conducting path leading outside, such as corded telephones, electrical appliances, wires, TV cables,
   plumbing (including plastic pipes with water in them), metal doors or window frames, etc. Don’t stand near a
   window to watch the lightning. An inside room is generally best.

7. MYTH: When Playing Sports And Thunderstorms Threaten, It’s Okay To Finish The Game Before Seeking Shelter

   TRUTH: Sports is the activity with the fastest rising rate of lightning casualties. No game is worth death or life-long
   severe injury. All people associated with sports should have a lightning safety plan and stick to it strictly.
   Seek proper shelter immediately when lightning threatens. Adults are responsible for the safety of children!

8. MYTH: Structures With Metal, Or Metal On The Body (Jewelry, Watches, Glasses, Backpacks, Etc.), Attract Lightning

   TRUTH: Height, pointy shape, and isolation are the dominant factors controlling where a lightning bolt will strike. The
   presence of metal makes virtually no difference on where lightning strikes. Mountains are made of stone, but
   receive many strikes each year. When lightning threatens, take proper protective action immediately. Don’t
   waste time shedding metal off your body, or seeking shelter under inadequate structures. But while metal
   doesn’t attract lightning, touching or being near long metal objects (fences, railings, bleachers, vehicles, etc.)
   is still unsafe when thunderstorms are nearby. If lightning does happen to hit it, the metal can conduct the
   electricity a long distance (even over 100 yards) and still electrocute you.

9. MYTH: If Trapped Outside And Lightning Is About To Strike, Lie Flat On The Ground

   TRUTH: This advice is decades out of date. Better advice is to use the ‘Lightning Crouch’: put your feet together,
   squat low, tuck your head, and cover your ears. Lightning induces electric currents along the top of the
   ground that can be deadly over 100 Feet away. While lying flat on the ground gets you as low as possible,
   which is good, it increases your chance of being hit by a ground current, which is bad. The best combination
   of being low and touching the ground as little as possible is the ‘Lightning Crouch’. But the ‘Lightning
   Crouch’ should be used only as a last resort. Much better would be to plan outdoor activities around the
   weather to avoid thunderstorm exposure and to have proper shelter available.

10. MYTH: Go near a tall pointy isolated object when thunderstorms threaten, to be within the 45° “cone of protection”

    TRUTH: The “cone of protection” is a myth! While tall pointy isolated objects are statistically more likely to be struck
    by lightning, it’s not nearly reliable enough to rely on for safety. Lightning can still strike you near the tall
    object. Besides, the lightning electricity will likely spread out along the surface of the ground and can still kill
    you over 100 Ft from the “protecting” object. Also, if you are close to or touching the tall object, you can be
    electrocuted via side flash or contact voltage. NO PLACE OUTSIDE IS SAFE NEAR A THUNDERSTORM!

In lightning safety, a myth is not as good as a mile. Distance and proper shelter is your best protection from lightning.