Rank: Guest 
|
Posted By Mint
We have had a couple of big thunder and lightning storms over the last two weeks and one of our FLT drivers has asked if it safe to drive an FLT outdooors during such a storm.
Can anyone offer advice on this or point me to any guidance material that may be available?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Salus
Hi Mint,about 6 months ago I watched a TV programme about lightning strikes to a car.
They actually put someone in a car and conducted similar conditions where simulated lightning struck the car several times without any harm to the person inside.
No Harm came to the person because of the insulating effects of the tyres being the only contact with the ground.
Risk Assesment, probability extremely remote for a FLT being struck let alone a person using a fork lift and the consequences of such a strike I would have thought were minor.
But an interesting scenario and one to be looked at in more detail to get a definite answer
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By The toecap
How often does this happen? Once in ten years? Is this really a serious issue. When was the last time that FLT drivers had to encounter thunder storms. Remember the HSE campaign of looking at the real risks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Darren J Fraser
The TV programme was Top Gear and involved 'The Hamster' sitting in a normal car as it was subjected to lighting strikes. At the end of the pretty unscienctic experiment the car worked perfectly well, and no harm came to the hamster.
Therefore in answer to your question, FLT's used in lightning storms should be perfectly safe, and the risk of one being struck by lightning storms would be reasonably low.
However some people do find lightning storms quite terrifying, therefore I would consider restricting work being carried on outside whilst there is a storm, although this may not be practical.
Regards
Daz
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Stupendous Man
Daz,
I feel for those not familiar with Top Gear we should explain that 'the Hamster' is infact a human being (alleged to have some rodent-like features) and not of the furry, nocturnal type, loved as pets by many.
No animals were harmed in the development of this thread.....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Calum Clark
What Top Gear maybe failed to point out was that a hardtop car acts as a sort of Faraday cage so the current passess through the metal work and not the occupants. The tyres don't have that much to do with it.
Calum
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Darren J Fraser
Point noted Stupendous Man.
'The Hamster' is Richard Hammond - Jeremy Clarkson (JC)(yes - he that knocks H&S as a bunch of sad people with nothing to do but spoil peoples fun etc) gave him the nickname, because he is small, apparently women find him cuddly and his teeth are quite prominent (according to JC they have been bleached).
Wonder if they would let me have a blast round the test track - anyone else up for contacting Top Gear and setting a challenge - e.g. a H&S person could beat JC's time in a reasonably priced car round their test track.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Mint
My initial thoughts are that whilst driving the forks of the FLT will be raised and the rubber tyres will insulate the truck from earth, meaning little risk to the driver even if the truck were to get struck by lightning.
However, if the truck is stopped/parked and the forks are lowered and touching the ground then any lightning strike will be conducted to earth. The Faraday cage priciple should mean that the driver will be unharmed if he is sitting in a driving positon and not touching the framework of the truck. If he is touching the framework though then he is at risk of becoming the conductor and subsequently injured.
As mentioned above, the frequency of such an occurence is extremely low but I have been asked the question and have to provide an answer and guidance. I think for the moment my advice will be to NOT drive FLT's outside during a thunder and lighning storm.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By garyh
I understand that you are safe if you are in a car struck by lightning due to the fat that the metal body conducts electricity far better than the human body. The tyres are a red herring - in any case they can't act as insulators if it is raining heavily and the rain runs "to earth" over them!!
I am not sure if the FLR cage gives the same protection as a car body due to it's open nature. You could be struck rather than the truck.
However - on a quantified risk basis, the driver is probably at very ow risk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Is Kismet
As mentioned above, the frequency of such an occurence is extremely low but I have been asked the question and have to provide an answer and guidance. I think for the moment my advice will be to NOT drive FLT's outside during a thunder and lighning storm.
Which is a common sense approach and logical answer.
Let's move on now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Jeffrey Watt
As Gary and Calum have pointed out the tyres are a red herring but for a different reason. The tyres reduce, repeat reduce the safety of the driver in a vehicle by insulating the system from earth.
The lightning current goes around the vehicle due to skin effect, the surface can conduct more easily than the air and person in the middle. Path of least resistance, why a Faraday cage works (Faraday must have had some cojones). You don't want to be insualted from Earth you want the energy to get out and to the earth asap, you want to give this angry animal a way out, not cage it in where you are if you see what I mean.
Another way of looking at it is this; as the current has travelled from the upper atmosphere through a few kilometres of air the tyres are hardly going to insulate much anyway.
Kind regards
Jeff
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By John Doe
Hang on. Wouldn't the lightning strike a taller object before it got down to an FLT?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Guest
|
Posted By Ali
No problem - the FLT should peform to the same std as a car thanks to the "Faraday cage" effect, which draws the current to earth without affecting the occupants inside. Not too dissimilar to the "Hall effect" in planes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.