Lighting protection via 10mm bonding cable

[Marvo]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, was the pole installed as lightning protection or is it just a pole bolted to the roof for some other obscure reason?

 

[Richard Burns]

UK has less than 25 thunderstorm days per year so becomes a low risk situation.
Connection of non extraneous parts to the main bonding (or MET) only means that the part could now become live in the case of a fault whereas it would not before, because the pole is well out of reach there should be no likely risk present.
Lightning conductors connected to the earthing system just provide a good path to earth, without this they may well "side strike" into the earthing system anyway.
However I do not know enough to make a sound judgment.

 

[D Skelton]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, was the pole installed as lightning protection or is it just a pole bolted to the roof for some other obscure reason?

Just a pole bolted to the roof mate lol

 

[tazz]

No expert on this, but can quote what i see on construction buildings, And that is on large copper strap, covering the complete circumference of the building. With completed straps being taken down the building into dedicated earth rods.....on saying this, I was always informed that lighting hits the highest point...Liberia, when two high hotels were missed and the lightning hit a lower construction crane...So there must be some design aspects involved here

 

[Rockingit]

Go here, and ask for the guide to BS EN 62305. You wont be disappointed with what arrives in your post.

Furse Literature

 

[amckay]

I'm pretty sure its a requirement to earth TV aerials and sat dishes. Maybe that's what it was for? 3m pole tho does sound like it could have been a radio mast?
I'm sure if it was lightning protection the installation requires surge protection but I'm no expert on lightning protection

 

[ferg]

I'm pretty sure its a requirement to earth TV aerials and sat dishes. Maybe that's what it was for? 3m pole tho does sound like it could have been a radio mast?
I'm sure if it was lightning protection the installation requires surge protection but I'm no expert on lightning protection

You had better tell SKY then

 

[UNG]

Also some good info to download here

A N Wallis

In the past I've had some good information and help from the technical support people over the phone from both Wallis and Furse so may be worth a call. Had a chat with a guy at Furse once after I had faxed some info to him phoned him to discuss the project and his response was it would be more dangerous to install lightning protection than not installing it so lightning protection ain't the be all and end all solution on some sites

With regard to the OP it sounds like this has possibly been some sort of comms installation at some time, it is not clear in the post if there is actually a lightning protection system installed and this is just a bond to the MET or if this conductor is the sole earthing point if it is the latter it would be better disconnected.

I've seen quite a few iffy installations on sites when I was installing a lot of comms kit a number of years ago including a failed ground termination on a lightning protection system on one site and the whole of the roof system was earthed on two coax shields from a couple of other radios on the roof, only became apparent because the kit we were installing suffered some interesting interference problems