Lightning Protection Institute Announces National Lightning Safety Initiative

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill., April 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lightning Protection Institute Inspection Program  ("LPI-IP"), announces its national lightning safety initiative, "Double Check." Check 1. Have a lightning protection system. Check 2. Have the system inspected and certified.

"People say, 'I have lightning protection. Isn't that enough?' when actually, no, it's not," said Tim Harger, LPI-IP program manager. "Double Check was developed to ensure property owners understand this."

The Double Check initiative advocates independent third-party inspection and certification of professionally designed and installed lightning protection systems in residential and commercial settings.

As lightning protection systems gain widespread acceptance as a necessary life safety application, property owners are encouraged to check both boxes.  Demand systems designed and installed by lightning protection professionals. Demand the system be inspected and certified by a nationally accepted third-party. Because lightning protection systems' performance depends entirely upon the quality of the manufactured components, system design, installation, and suitability, inspection and certification is a must.

The education push about the need for professionally designed, installed, inspected and certified lightning protection comes as the industry takes a pivotal turn to a higher level of professionalism. Building has become almost entirely dependent on "smart" and traditional technology to power structures and the lives and work of their occupants. Insulating those systems from catastrophic interruption is vital. Architects and engineers are increasingly unwilling to merely "check the box" of specifying lightning protection. More and more they demand robust systems that match the complexity and function of the structures they design and build. They prefer certified lightning protection companies and practitioners with capabilities, processes and resources to meet their projects' needs efficiently.

LPI-IP is in lockstep with its building and design counterparts in advocating the highest professional standard. Independent third-party inspection and certification is the final word on the quality and efficacy of the systems they specify and trust to protect their projects.

Lightning strikes the U.S. 20 million times each year. Annually, lightning-related property losses exceed $2 billion dollars. Between 3 and 5% of all property and casualty claims involve lightning. At approximately less than 1% of the total construction cost of a commercial or residential project, a quality lightning protection system is a prudent, economical life safety, risk management and mitigation investment.

About the Lightning Protection Institute Inspection Program

The benchmark for independent third-party lightning protection system inspection and certification, LPI-IP is the industry's most comprehensive inspection program. Since 2010, LPI-IP spans the full spectrum of national standards. Its leadership team and inspectors are experts in the discipline, combining to deliver inspection, certification, specification, design consulting and review, interpretation and other services to meet the needs of property owners, architects, engineers, general contractors and homeowners. For more information, visit www.lpi-ip.com.

About the Lightning Protection Institute

The Lightning Protection Institute (LPI) is a not-for-profit, nationwide group founded in 1955 to promote lightning safety, awareness and education and is a leading resource for lightning protection information and system requirements. Visit the LPI website at www.lightning.org for more information.   

For media inquiries, reach Kristen Lunceford at [email protected] or 561-308-4741.

SOURCE Lightning Protection Institute