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| "Machmud Effendy, ST., M.Eng Provides Tips to Avoid Lightning Strikes (Photo: Hilmi Humas) |
The rainy season has begun with varying intensities, from light to heavy rainfall. Facing these weather changes, Machmud Effendy, ST., M.Eng., urges the public to be more attentive, especially during rainy periods accompanied by lightning.
He explains that fundamentally, lightning carries a negative electric charge, always seeking something with a positive electric charge, including the earth. Carelessness toward lightning occurrences can be quite dangerous for society. Often, its presence results in material losses and even casualties.
"Lightning often targets tall and expansive buildings with many electrical currents. These structures are at a higher risk of being struck by lightning, such as residential houses, office facilities, sports complexes, governmental buildings, and similar structures," he explained.
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Furthermore, Machmud, commonly known as Machmud, conveyed that people, as the main actors, need adequate education on protecting themselves from lightning. This includes regularly monitoring weather forecasts, staying away from open spaces during bad weather, and minimizing electrical and mobile phone usage during rain.
"The use of electricity and mobile phones, which generate radiation, can also serve as pathways for lightning currents that could endanger people. This risk exists even when operating them inside a car," he added.
Apart from avoiding activities involving electricity, the use of lightning rods or surge protectors is also a solution to reduce the chances of lightning strikes. People often mistake these two devices as the same, but fundamentally, they differ. Lightning rods work by capturing lightning strikes and channelling them to the ground with the lowest possible voltage. Meanwhile, surge protectors use high-voltage electricity to directly dissipate lightning.
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"The public's misconception is evidence of inadequate education and misconceptions about lightning. Although their goals are similar, lightning rods and surge protectors serve different functions. Lightning rods are usually used on a medium scale, such as households, micro-industries, and small office buildings. Lightning rods are also considered efficient due to their affordability," he explained.
Meanwhile, surge protectors require relatively higher costs, even reaching twenty times the expense. This is due to the high costs of purchasing equipment capable of producing electricity up to a voltage of more than 40,000 volts.
"In addition to their relatively high prices, surge protectors have extensive coverage. One surge protector can cover a radius of up to 50 meters, making it suitable for use in larger areas such as industrial zones, office areas, factories, and sports complexes. This equipment also has various other advantages, such as using electrostatic systems, so the resulting electric reflections do not produce any radiation that could endanger the environment or people," he concluded. (*hil/wil/fajr)
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