Lightning Related Human Risks and Risk Management

Abstract

Abstract:A comprehensive account of lightning related hazards to human beings, both at general locations and at work place has been given. The injury mechanisms are analyzed from both engineering and medical perspectives with the view of determining the factors to be considered in risk assessment for minimizing adverse impacts of lightning from both direct and indirect effects. The paper provides practical approaches in evaluating the degree of risk of lightning related injury to humans at nearly any given location. The paper highlights many dependent and independent parameters in determining safety assessment schemes against lightning-related human hazard. It also emphasizes the need for development of human safety guidelines in addition to established lightning protection standards that focus on property and services. While most risk index parameters are valid globally, in some cases, there may be special regional or local factors that should be considered.

Lightning flash rate nowcasting based on polarimetric radar data and machine learning

“…Timely detection and prediction of lightning strikes are essential for the safety of infrastructures, such as airports (Steiner, Deierling, and Johnson 2012;Heitkemper, Price, and Johnson 2008), and personal safety (Gomes 2017). Numerous previous studies have used various sensors and processing methods for detecting lightning and provide alerts (Carey and Rutledge 2000;Hondl and Eilts 1994;Woodard et al 2012;Heitkemper, Price, and Johnson 2008;Kohn et al 2011;Lakshmanan and Smith 2009).…”