2020 Edition
Keep pace with the most current information and requirements for safer and more effective lightning protection system installations with NFPA 780, 2020 edition.
NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems, provides a comprehensive resource for safeguarding lives and property from fire and related dangers associated with lightning events.
An industry benchmark document for lightning safety for over a century, NFPA 780 offers an in-depth oversight and thorough coverage of protection methods, devices, and safety challenges in lightning protection systems.
Identify lightning hazards and provide appropriate protection for your building or facility.
NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems, delivers a flexible approach to providing applicable safety protocols for lightning hazards based on the use of the building or structure. The 2020 edition offers state-of-the-art provisions for installations, including on-site physical inspections of completed installations and periodic testing and inspections as required.
From work requirements and informative annexes to illustrated figures and updated definitions, NFPA 780 provides an essential reference standard for facility managers, installers, inspectors, and AHJs.
Primary changes in the new standard include:
- Section 4.9, Conductors, has been revised to clarify general requirements for main conductors with an emphasis on one-way paths, dead ends, and when upward conductor paths are permitted.
- Rewritten Chapter 7 acknowledges lightning electromagnetic pulse (LEMP) as a source of ignition in classified locations.
- Edits in Chapter 11, Protection for Airfield Lighting Circuits, clarify the application of the requirements for lightning protection at airfields.
- New Annex N, Considerations for Nonmetallic Tanks Containing Flammable Vapors or Liquids that Give Off Flammable Vapors, has been added to guide lightning protection of nonmetallic tanks containing combustible or flammable materials. (*Further study and public input regarding the protection of these tanks is necessary before requirements can be added to the body of the standard.)
Be ready to perform every lightning protection system job to the latest standard.
Having the most relevant information is critical to reducing lightning risks. Perform your job with confidence and accuracy with NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems, 2020 edition.
2017 Edition
Major changes in the 2017 edition of NFPA 780 provide greater oversight and new understanding of lightning protection systems and lightning hazards.
Reflecting the latest protection methods, devices, and safety challenges, the 2017 edition of NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems is the new industry benchmark for protecting lives and property from fire and related dangers associated with lightning events.
Determine the right protection scheme for different occupancies.
Lightning hazards exist everywhere, but depending on the use of a building or structure, different lightning protection protocols exist. This edition of NFPA 780 helps you recognize hazards and provide appropriate protection.
- Updated Section 5.3 pertaining to facilities that handle or process combustible or explosive dust now presents specific references to NFPA® standards addressing dust hazards, including NFPA 61, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Dust Explosions in Agricultural and Food Processing Facilities, NFPA 122, Standard for Fire Prevention and Control in Metal/Nonmetal Mining and Metal Mineral Processing Facilities, and NFPA 664, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities.
- Rewritten Chapter 7 addresses protection for structures containing flammable vapors, flammable gases, or liquids that can give off flammable vapors.
- New definitions include ground loop conductor, integral lightning protection system, mast-type lightning protection system, rated impulse withstand voltage level (withstand voltage) (u w), smart structure, solar array, and solar panel.
Other changes assist facility managers, installers, inspectors, and AHJs:
- Added requirements in this edition -- concerning physical on-site inspections of completed installations and periodic inspections or testing -- may be required at the discretion of the AHJ.
- Updated figures illustrate air terminal protection for lower roof protection.
- New requirements cover test and connection points for concrete-encased electrodes to enable periodic maintenance and testing of the ground system.
- New bonding requirements address long horizontal metal bodies on roofs.
- Numerous new requirements pertain to ungrounded metal bodies.
- This edition includes re-evaluated and revised zero property line conditions.
- New Annexes cover technologies used in state-of-the-art systems: Annex J, Protection of Smart Structures; and Annex K, Guide to International Standards Dealing with the Selection of SPDs for Use on Photovoltaic (PV) Installations.
Make sure you're prepared to reduce lightning risks. Trust your jobs to the 2017 NFPA 780. (Softbound, 112 pp., 2017)
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