Rob Baron
"Reach Out for Advice"
Rob Baron
"Reach Out for Advice"
Rob Baron, MS, ATC, PES • IUP Sports Medicine • Johnson State College
Lightning Safety
It may not feel like it, but spring is right around the corner. With the warming weather, comes the threat of thunderstorms and lightning strikes. Lightning strikes kill approximately 100 people per year and injure hundreds more. Individuals who spend a great deal of time outdoors during the spring are at risk for this accident. In the next few paragraphs, I will discuss a few simple ways to safeguard yourself from a lightning strike.
The most important part of any lightning safety plan is to pay attention to the weather. This may mean assigning someone to be a weather watcher. If a change in the weather is noticed and a thunderstorm appears to be approaching, it is time to seek shelter.
When you arrive at your facility for practice or a game, it is important to identify safe structures to go to in the event of a thunderstorm. The safest place to be in a thunderstorm is in a substantial building that has plumbing, electric lines, and telephone lines. The wiring and plumbing will act as pathways for the lightning strike if the building is struck. If a substantial building is not available at your site the next best area to find shelter is in a fully enclosed vehicle. It is important not to touch the metal framework of the car, as this will act as a pathway for the lightning strike. Unsafe structures include rain/picnic shelters, storage sheds, dugouts, indoor/outdoor pools. Do not be in contact or near the highest point in an open field. Do not seek shelter under a tree, light pole or flag pole.
Once a thunderstorm is in the area, it may be necessary to use the flash-to-bang count to determine how close a lightning strike was. To use this method, the weather observer will begin counting when a flash of lightning is seen. The counting is stopped when the associated clap of thunder is heard. This number is divided by 5, giving you the approximate distance (in miles) of the lightning strike. You should seek shelter if the flash-to-bang count is 30 seconds or less (30 second count is a lightning strike that is approximately 6 miles away).
The next important step in safeguarding yourself from a lightning strike is knowing when to go back on the field. It is recommended that activity resume 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder or lightning flash. If 29 minutes go by and you then hear a clap of thunder or see lightning, you start a new 30 minutes.
The above safety tips, and others, can be found in The Journal of Athletic Training. This information can be found in the following article: National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Lightning Safety for Athletics and Recreation. This simple statement can safeguard everyone in outdoor activities from a lightning strike:
If you see it, flee it. If you hear it, clear it.