EN
Lightning Protection Installation Inspection
Periodic inspection of lightning protection systems: earth resistance measurement, conductor and joint examination, equipotential bonding audit. Signed reports.
Lightning protection installation periodic inspection verifies, through measurement and examination against the TS EN 62305 series, the external protection (air terminals, down conductors, earth electrodes) and internal protection (equipotential bonding, surge protective devices) protecting structures against direct and indirect lightning effects. Since lightning impulse current can reach tens of kiloamperes, a conductor or joint weakened in cross-section produces melting, arcing and fire at the contact point; the system must be maintained not as "present" but as "operative".
Protection Level and Inspection Period
The lightning protection level (LPS Class I-IV) is set by the risk analysis of content and environment, and inspection depth follows the class. Per the TS EN 62305-3 approach and national periodic control tables, practice is: annually for facilities containing explosive and flammable atmospheres, and in other building classes annual visual inspection with measurement-based detailed inspection at up to two-yearly intervals by class. After a strike, installation change or suspected damage, control is renewed without waiting for the period.
Inspection Items
- External system: Height and protection angle/mesh check of air terminals; cross-section, support spacing, bend radius and test socket accessibility of down conductors; tightness and corrosion at conductor joints (above-ground junctions prioritised).
- Earth measurement: Fall-out-of-potential earth resistance measurement; selective measurement in multi-electrode systems. Acceptance value and current-voltage curve appear in the report.
- Equipotential bonding: Continuity (milliohm) measurement of metal services, structure and equipment connections to the main bonding bar; SPD status indicator and earth link at energy line entries.
- Separation distance: Measurement of insulation separation between down conductor and telecom-power lines; violations noted as flashover risk.
- Documentation: Conformity to project; integration status of added building elements (roof extension, solar panels, antennas).
Risks and Operator Recommendations
The most frequent field defects: later-added rooftop panels and structures not bonded to the down conductor, test sockets buried under plaster (making measurement impossible), and joints made with loose nuts instead of bent-crimp connections. In solar investments, the integration of panel carriers with the protection system must be verified before the storm season. Measurement results must be kept as trends and resistance increases separated into seasonal humidity effect versus electrode corrosion. Pre-storm-season planning is recommended for life and property safety.
Outcome
At the end of measurement and examination, a signed report with resistance values, continuity map and non-compliance list is issued. Lightning protection controls are within our Periodic Inspection of Installations group. For combined contracting and design, review our Earthing and Lightning Protection System page, or contact us for your programme.
FAQ on Lightning Protection Inspection
The external system: air termination terminals (rod-mesh-conductor-Faraday cage), down conductors, earthing electrode system; the internal system: equipotential bonding ring-connections, surge protection (SPD) stages and the separation distance-isolation coordination between the LPS and structural metal. The system carries lightning current (around the 200 kA class) under control into the earth — one broken connection becomes a fatal side effect.
In the practice of the Earthing and Lightning Protection Regulations, installation control is recommended at most yearly; the TS EN 62305 series (LPS design-maintenance) shortens the period by damage-risk class (general-normal-high danger) — half-year for explosive-fuel-sensitive sites. The control covers the visual trio (corrosion-broken-loose), measurement (earthing resistance-continuity) and functional (SPD-state-matching) layers.
Earth resistance by rod method (fallout three-pole or select-60; clamp-on limited), continuity low-resistance meter (milliohm; the 0,2 ohm reference at joints), equipotential bonding continuity scan, soil resistivity (Wenner) for design comparison; visual: conductor rosette-fray-corrosion-crack, distance (isolation interface), down conductor-mechanical damage, SPD module status window-readout and connection heating scan by thermography (thermal camera).
Broken-corroded-melted conductor-joint, earth resistance above limit or unmeasurable (lost electrode), separation-isolation breach (side effect risk), broken bonding ring (potential difference between metal installation and LPS), burst-short SPD, loosened support-clamp (mechanical fall): urgent tag and fix. The report is measured, sketch-photo based, finding-levelled and enters the insurance-fire file. The operator ties the lightning season to the control period and the SPD-log alarm routine.