How a Lightning Strike Can Paralyze Your Business

Start a Fire Outbreak

A lightning strike can cause a fire outbreak in two main ways. First, lightning itself heats up the air around it, and the heated air, which can be extremely hot, can easily ignite the surrounding environment. Your file cabinets, window treatments or even furniture can easily ignite and spread the fire to the rest of the office.

Secondly, lightning can cause a fire outbreak by causing electrical malfunctions (such as a short circuit) that can trigger an electrical fire and burn down your business.

Fry Up Your Electrical Wiring

All wiring has a maximum voltage amount it can safely handle. Several things can happen when lightning forces electrical wiring to carry a voltage beyond this limit.

For example, the electricity overload will heat up the conductors (due to the increased electrical resistance) and even damage their insulation. Not only that, but some of the electricity may be forced to flow through unintended paths (classical short circuit) causing further damage. All these damages mean that, in a worst case scenario, you will have to replace your electrical wiring after a lightning strike.

Damage Your Electronics and Electrical Items

In the case of a powerful lightning strike, the damage may extend from the electrical wiring to the electronics and electrical items. Just like the electrical wiring, the electronics and electrical items in your business also have a maximum amount of electricity they can handle.

Unfortunately, if lightning strikes your electrical wiring, the electricity may pass through and overload the plugged-in electronics and electrical appliances, damaging them too. The damages mean you will have to replace the wiring and the electronics/electrical items.

Injure Your Employees

One of the worst things about a lightning strike is the injuries it can cause to those at the scene of the strike. A typical lightning bolt contains millions or even a billion volts of electricity, which is not safe for a human body.

Even if the strike doesn't hit your employees directly, it may pass through other items in the workplace and still reach the employees. In addition, consider the risk of getting trampled in a stampede after a lightning strike, getting injured by malfunctioning appliances, or getting burned by a lightning-induced fire.

All these risks mean that your employees may be severely injured if you don't have lightning protection for your workplace.

Trigger Liability Claims

A lightning strike can trigger liability claims or even a lawsuit against your business in two main ways. First, a lightning strike may cause injuries to your visitors (such as clients) who were on the premises at the time of the strike. The victims of the accident may sue you if they are convinced that you could have prevented their injuries if you had installed a lightning arrester.

Secondly, your business may also face liability claims or lawsuits if the lightning strike causes damage to your client's belongings or delays your service delivery to your clients.

Create an Uncomfortable Working Environment

Lastly, a lightning strike may also render your business premises unbearable if it knocks out your heating and cooling system or damages your plumbing system. For example, a lightning strike could damage your plumbing system and flood your premises with water. Damages to heating, cooling, and plumbing systems may force you to give your workers time off until you can fix the damages.

The good news is that you don't have to expose your business to the above risks. At Michigan Lightning Protection, we understand the danger of lightning strikes and we can design and install a suitable lightning protection system for your business. Give us a call today for a quote.