5 Lightning Safety Tips To Protect Your Crew

While a lot of other industries don’t have to consider how weather impacts their day-to-day work, those who staff shipyards do. Have you considered how to protect your crew from lightening? Lightning storms can pop up without warning, and lightning strikes are more common in shipyards than you may think. Here are some tips to keep your team safe.

Know the Signs of a Thunderstorm

Rain and, of course, lightening are key indicators that a thunderstorm is happening, but how can you determine if one is on the horizon. You’ll notice that clouds begin to have darker bases as they develop into thunderstorm clouds. If it is tall and flat on the top, a thunderstorm is on its way. Even a dark sky in the distance, flashes of light, heavy wind, and rumbling thunder or thunderclaps can indicate a storm is heading your direction.

Get Down Low

If your employees are unable to seek safety in shelter during a thunderstorm, make sure they know to get down low. If they’re in an open area, tell them to crouch down with their feet and knees together in a ball-like position. They should cover their ears or tuck their head. Don’t lay down, you want to minimize your body’s contact with the ground.

Move Away from Water

What’s most imperative in a shipyard setting is to move your employees away from the water. Anyone working on the water, or on a ship, needs to get to safety immediately. Water is a conductor for the electricity of the thunderstorm.

Spread Out

Encourage your employees to move away from one another. Clumping up is a bad idea in a storm and can lead to more injuries. If your employees can’t find safety in a shelter, tell them to spread out to minimize their exposure to hazards.

Avoid Metal

As with water, metal is a conductor for electricity. Since shipyards use a large amount of metal, you must keep your employees safely away from metal during a thunderstorm. Watch for the signs and move quickly to ensure everyone can get to safety.