In a Flash…Why You Need to Take Lightening Seriously 

You and a co-worker are in your work vehicle on the way to a job site and the weather forecast calls for a slight chance of thunderstorms. But, you only see a few fluffy white clouds overhead and the sun is out. So you and your co-worker grab your gear and head for the first billboard you need to install.  You spend a few minutes setting up and then—wait! Is that thunder you hear? Was that a lightning flash?

What do you do? Hurry up with the install until the thunder and lightning get closer or stop when it starts to rain? Go stand under the nearest tree to see what happens? Or, get in your vehicle and wait?

Correct answer: If no substantial, non-concrete shelter is nearby, get in your vehicle and wait out the storm.

Why? Because being outside when lightning is present is not something to take lightly—ever.

Lightning Strike Risks

The odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are less than one in a million, but some factors can put you at greater risk. Lightning most often strikes people who work outside in open spaces, on or near tall objects, with explosives or conductive materials such as metal.

Workers in these occupations face the most risk:

• Logging
• Explosive handling or storage
• Heavy equipment operation
• Plumbing and pipe fitting
• Construction and building maintenance
• Farming and field labor
• Telecommunications field repair
• Power utility field repair

Where you are located and the season can also affect your risk of being injured by lightning. For example, Florida and Texas had the most lightning deaths reported in 2020.

When thunderstorms threaten, don’t start anything you can’t quickly stop. Pay attention to the daily forecast so you know what to expect during the day. Also pay attention to early signs of thunderstorms: high winds, dark clouds, rain, distant thunder, or lightning. If these conditions exist, do not start a task you can’t quickly stop.

Outdoor Safety Preparedness

You can protect yourself from risk even if you are caught outdoors when lightning is close by.

If the weather forecast calls for thunderstorms, postpone your activity.

Find a safe, enclosed shelter. Safe shelters include homes, offices, shopping centers, and hard-top vehicles with the windows rolled up.

Use the 30-30 rule. After you see lightning, start counting to 30. If you hear thunder before you reach 30, go indoors. Suspend activities for at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.

If you are caught in an open area, act quickly to find adequate shelter. Crouching or getting low to the ground can reduce your chances of being struck but does not remove you from danger.

If you are caught outside with no safe shelter nearby, the following actions may reduce your risk:

• Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges, or peaks.
• Never lie flat on the ground. Crouch down in a ball-like position with your head tucked and hands over your ears so that you are down low with minimal contact with the ground.
• Never shelter under an isolated tree.
• Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter.
• Immediately get out of and away from ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water.
• Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (such as barbed wire fences, power lines, or windmills).