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Lightning Safety Information

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 annuallyAverage flash will light a 100 watt bulb for 3 monthsHeat exceeds 50,000 degrees F (3 times hotter than the surface of the sun); 90,000 miles/

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Lightning Safety Information

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    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: ˝ 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%

    6. Lightning Facts Con’t 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 jobsite—especially 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 you’re trained) and call 911 (most die from heart attacks/stopping breathing)

    9. Safety for Outdoor Workers Lightning’s distance: Count the time from the flash to the bang—for each 5 seconds between, the lightning is 1 mile away (activate lightning safety plan at count of 30 or 6 miles away) and don’t resume activities for 30 minutes—it’s called the 30-30 rule Hair standing on end and/or hearing “crackling noises” means you’re in lightning’s 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; don’t 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

    11. Personal Safety Tips-Indoors At home—don’t 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 you’re 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

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