Surge protection systems are an important way to storm-proof hazardous area equipment, reducing the damage caused by overloading due to a direct lightning strike.
Every year, thousands of businesses are affected by storm damage in different ways, from flooding, to wind damage, to damage caused to electronics by lightning strikes.
Research from the Federation of Small Businesses published in 2015 put the total insurable costs for the 2013-14 storm season alone at over £1 billion for businesses and households combined, with 3,200 commercial premises impacted.
And it’s not only during the winter when this can occur – in May 2018 severe storms lashed the south of England, with more than 15,000 lightning strikes occurring in four hours on Saturday, May 26th.
Despite landing on a weekend, this storm still caused widespread disruption, with a lightning strike preventing refuelling of aeroplanes at Stansted Airport, leading to flights being delayed or cancelled.
Much of the disruption of a lightning strike – and the power surge associated with it – can be avoided simply by installing surge protection, keeping equipment safe anywhere on commercial premises but particularly protecting against the risks of fire or explosion in hazardous area equipment.
