Inspect and Protect Campaign for Lightning Protection Systems

To combat the rise in unqualified companies testing lightning protection systems, the Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists (ATLAS) has launched the Inspect and Protect Campaign to promote the importance of using a fully trained Specialist Contractor for annual systems testing.

To comply with the current British Standard, the majority of buildings should have their lightning protection system tested every year.

As this is highly specialist work, it is crucial that it is carried out by a Specialist Contractor with the knowledge and experience to ensure its continued safety to the recognised standard in the UK. Alarmingly, an increasing number of companies who are not qualified in lightning protection have been undertaking this work, which could affect the system’s ability to protect the building, its occupants and contents from potential damage in the event of a strike.

The new Inspect and Protect Campaign from ATLAS has two key objectives designed to raise quality standards for the testing and inspection of lightning protection systems:

1. Establish clear standards of competency for testing and inspection work
2. Encourage clients to specify ATLAS members for testing and inspection work.

To assist those in charge of buildings and facilities management to better understand the service which they should look for, ATLAS has published the leaflet Choosing a Specialist Contractor for your Lightning Protection System, outlining the key factors to consider when choosing a test engineer. This should be used in conjunction with the Client Checklist for Lightning Protection Systems which provides details of the information that should be provided in any annual testing report to ensure that the system is tested in line with the British Standard.

ATLAS President John Jolly said:

“This campaign is a huge step towards raising awareness of a key issue for those with responsibility for the management or maintenance of their building. Organisations are increasingly looking for one supplier to provide a range of facilities management services; however, they should use a Specialist Contractor in Lightning Protection who is qualified to do the job safely. Clients can be sure that by specifying an ATLAS member they will receive a high level of service delivered to current best practice levels.”