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Protecting children against lightning
Ugandan summer thunderstorms are practically a daily occurrence.
The most dangerous by-product of these frequent storms is the ap-
proximately 70 lightning strikes per kilometre experienced within
the country each year. Between 2012 and 2014, tragically more than
365 school children were killed due to lightning strikes.
In light of this, African Centres for Lightning and Electromagnetics
Network (ACLENet.org), a Pan-African Network of Centres dedicated
to reducing lightning related deaths, injuries and property damage,
put in place a project called “Lightning Kills! Save a Life Africa”
aimed at providing lightning protection equipment (including
lightning rods, down conductors and grounding) to help safeguard
African schools from
DEHN + SÖHNE subsidiary, DEHNAfrica initially conducted a risk
assessment, followed by the customised design plan of a lightning
protection system (LPS) for a school based in Runyanya, Uganda.
The school, which has a total of 700 pupils, is the first in the region
to have rolled out a comprehensive LPS.
Within three days,
DEHN Africa
installed the external lightning
protection system - including earthing systems, air-termination
rods and down conductors - on each building within the school
premises, including the chapel.
Kirk Risch, sales and marketing director at DEHN Africa, says:
“This is the first of four similar school projects to be rolled out by
DEHNAfrica within the next fewweeks.We have already sponsored
the shipping of the required products and have trained our partner
in Uganda, UltraTecWorld. UltraTecWorld assisted with the instal-
lation at Runyaya, and will complete the LPS installations at the
remaining three schools. “It is the serious intention of both DEHN
+ SÖHNE and DEHN Africa to prevent similar tragedies to the one
that occurred inWestern Uganda in 2011, where a number of chil-
dren were seriously injured with others losing their lives during a
thunderstorm. These projects present an ideal opportunity for us
to give back to the communities in which we operate, helping to
create a safer environment.”
Enquiries: Kirk Risch.Tel. +27 (0) 11 704 1487 or
EARTHING + LIGHTNING PROTECTION
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