Lightning and metal ladders

[Harry Bloomfield]

There's a bit of thundery weather about at the moment, and I noticed the church at the end of my street, was having alloy ladders fitted all the way up to the top of the very high steeple, last Friday. I noticed the ladder system is now complete and goes all the way to the top. Seems a bit dodgy to me, metal ladders, when there is thunder about, though they are not in actual use. I wonder if they take any special precautions, like bonding them -together and earthing them at the base? Wouldn't insulated ladders be safer?

I will never forget the steeple being hit by massive lightning bolt, a few decades ago, at around 2am. I was in a deep sleep and was physically launched up in the air, from the bed. The strike had burnt out the lightning conductor, tracked its way through to the interior of the steeple, then tracked down the interior plaster work to ground.

 

[bernardgreen]

Electric wind ( a flow of electrons ) from the sharp points at the top of the lightning conductor tends to discharge the build up of potential above the building. Reduces the risk of a strike.

 

[^woody^]

I can't help thinking of the irony that if this was struck by lightning and the church damaged it would be an act of god. Which leads to questioning what have the church congregation been doing wrong to incur such wrath?

Anyway, SG3:14 (the standard for tube scaffolding) allows for earthing the scaffold to an existing lightning conductor.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I can't help thinking of the irony that if this was struck by lightning and the church damaged it would be an act of god. Which leads to questioning what have the church congregation been doing wrong to incur such wrath?

Churches are often hit by strikes. They are normally built on a local high point, as is the one near me, and some have tall steeples, as in this case. I'm on ground, a few metres lower

When the strike happened, apart from the damage to the church, it did a fair bit of local damage too. Local phone lines damaged. I had my modem blown up, steerable satellite system blown up and other lesser items damaged.

Anyway, SG3:14 (the standard for tube scaffolding) allows for earthing the scaffold to an existing lightning conductor.

The ladders are in three separate sections, ground to roof of church, roof to base of main steeple ladder, the the longest section, up to the very top of of the steeple. I cannot tell whether the ladders are connected to the conductor.