The Chronicle of The Lightning Protection System.

BS CP326 was first published in 1965. Then, the BS 6651:1999 Protection of structure against lightning has been adopted as guidance on the design and installation of lightning protection since 1985.

Since that 1985 publication, the UK has become more involved with the European Union (EU), particularly relating with the standardization. As a result, any British Standard now published has to be in common with its European equivalent.

By publishing the BS EN 62305, there will be a finite period of time (this period will be within 2 years) when both BS 6651 and the new BS EN 62305 series will run in parallel. Eventually, the British Standard Institution has to withdraw all their conflicting National Standard (i.e. BS 6651) in favour of the EN Standard. By the end of August 2008, the withdrawal of BS 6651 will take place.

British Standard European Norm (BS EN) 62305 is a standard which describing the “Protection Against Lightning’. It is itself consists of four distinct parts:

a)    Part 1: General Principle

It is an introduction to the other part of the standard and essentially describes on how to design the Lightning Protection System in accordance to the standard.

b)    Part 2: Risk management

The risk management is more concentrate on the risk of human life, loss of service to the public, economic losses as well as loss of cultural heritage.

c)    Part 3: Physical damage to structures and life hazard

It relates directly to the major part of BS 6651. It differs from BS 6651 in as much that this new part has four Classes or protection levels of Lighting Protection System.

d)    Part 4: Electrical and electronic system within structures

This part covers the protection of electrical and electronic systems housed within structures. With the new zonal approach called Lightning Protection Zones (LPZs), it provide information for the design, installation, maintenance and testing of a Lightning Electromagnetic Impulse (LEMP) protection system for electrical / electronic system within structure.

As the above is a general content of my posting and I will elaborate more on each of every part in BS EN 62305 in my next post.