Businesses usually operate on physical premises. Although the sight of lightning is fascinating, its impacts can be grave and hazardous.
In order to understand the impacts of lightning, it is important to understand how it works. When lightning bolts from the clouds towards the ground, it needs a resistance-free pathway. Here, conductors and items of conductive nature play a significant role. This is because these items provide lightning with an easy passage to travel from.
In a business or workplace environment, it is impossible to cut down on conductive equipment. This includes appliances and gadgets that require electrical wirings such as cables, internet, telephone or computer wires, fuel pipelines and etc. Since all of these items are conductors in nature, they offer easy paths for electrical surges to pass from.
Nevertheless, it isn’t the conductor that is the threat itself. It is the convenience it offers for a lightning bolt to reach the ground which proves to be a risk factor.
This is why it is important to have thorough insulation in your workplace/ business premises. Insulation is a protective system and eliminates the chances of a lightning bolt from using the conductors within the premise as a means of travel.
Don’t have your workplace/ business environment well-insulated? Well, here are the threats and impacts of when lightning strikes your business:
Shock Wave Damage
This is one of the most significant damages caused when a lightning bolt strikes your business. This is known as shockwave because it creates the impacts that are created when the collision of two clouds creates a rumbling thunder. At a closer degree, shock waves can be quite harmful. You may be familiar with lightning puncturing a business premises’ brick, stone, concrete, and cinderblock. But lightning’s shock waves have even more serious impacts which result in glass shatters, soil trenches, blown out plaster and even cracks in the very basis of the business premise. Lightning shock waves even result in shrapnel. Shrapnels are objects found lying under the walls due to destructive vibrations from lightning shock waves.
Fire Threats
This is another and perhaps, the most commonly known impact of igniting strikes on your business. Materials that are easily flamed such as wood can be set on fire when exposed to direct contact with lightning bolts. Lightning bolts are commonly known for setting conductors on rooftops such as pipelines and electrical wirings on fire. Ignition of home equipment on fire can cause severe damage. This poses threat not only to appliances but also to you and your employees’ life and well-being.
Power Surge Damage
Lightning finds conductors to pass through. In case lightning strikes directly on the electrical wiring of your business, it can cause serious damage to your appliances and electrical gadgets.
In case you live in an area that is prone to lightning, make sure to insulate your business thoroughly. This protective system prevents lightning bolts from causing serious impacts in cases of strikes!