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Lightning Safety Awareness

This document provides guidance on lightning safety. It notes that Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe operations are at risk of lightning strikes, which have resulted in fatalities in the past. During a thunderstorm, high risk areas include tall structures, power lines, metal structures, water, and trees. The safest places are standard buildings, approved shelters, or enclosed vehicles. The safety guidelines advise paying attention to weather warnings, suspending outdoor activities at the first sign of lightning or thunder, and waiting at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming outside.

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Emperorr Tau Mtetwa
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116 views1 page

Lightning Safety Awareness

This document provides guidance on lightning safety. It notes that Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe operations are at risk of lightning strikes, which have resulted in fatalities in the past. During a thunderstorm, high risk areas include tall structures, power lines, metal structures, water, and trees. The safest places are standard buildings, approved shelters, or enclosed vehicles. The safety guidelines advise paying attention to weather warnings, suspending outdoor activities at the first sign of lightning or thunder, and waiting at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before resuming outside.

Uploaded by

Emperorr Tau Mtetwa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS

“When thunder roars, go indoors!”


THZ SHE B17/2019

BACKGROUND
Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe operations are vulnerable to the risk of lightning as evidenced by two past incidents
recorded at Hippo Valley Estates. These incidents both involved crop guards and resulted in two fatalities in Sep-
tember 2006 and one in March 2013. This alert serves to remind everyone of the risk and raise awareness on the
safe actions to be taken to prevent being struck by lightning.

HIGH RISK AREAS DURING A THUNDERSTORM


 Tall structures: drill masts; communication towers; working at heights; gantry cranes; tall trees
 Power lines/ telephone lines/ anchor cables
 Iron formations/ Metal structures
 Water (in or near)
 Trees & ground can transfer energy to fences many kilometres away

SAFE PLACES DURING A THUNDERSTORM


There is no place that is absolutely safe from lightning threat, however, some places are relatively safer than
others. Below are some of the actions that one should execute when they detect a lightning threat;
 Take shelter in a standard building, approved lightning shelter or a motor vehicle with closed windows.
 Avoid use of the telephone, taking a shower, washing your hands, doing dishes, ironing/ pressing
clothes or any contact with conductive surfaces that are exposed to the outside such as metal doors or
window frames, electrical wiring, telephone wiring, cable TV wiring, plumbing, etc.
 Avoid contact with metal or conducting surfaces outside or inside the vehicle.
 Avoid being in or near high places and open fields, isolated trees, unprotected gazebos, rain or picnic
shel-ters communication towers, flagpoles, light poles, metal fences, golf carts,
water bodies
 If you are caught outside in a lightning storm, stay clear of trees or cano-
pies. Crouch down, put your feet together and cover your ears to limit
pos-sible hearing damage.
 Stay away from windows.
 Stay off the phone unless you need to make an emergency phone call.

SAFETY GUIDELINES

 Pay attention to early warning systems, weather forecast services and credible light-
ning detection devices such as lightning detectors, especially if you play a supervisory
role in order to evacuate personnel in time.
 If you can see lightning and/or hear thunder, you are already at risk and you need to
suspend outdoor activities and seek shelter indoors immediately. High winds, rainfall,
and cloud cover often act as precursors to lightning and thus give a signal to take ac-
tion.
 Generally, lightning threat diminishes with time after the last sound of thunder, but
may persist for more than 30 minutes. Therefore, one should allow reasonable time
before resuming outdoor activities.

SHE Department (03/10/19)

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