01892 667258
Hero

Lightning protection
installation

Fitted by our own engineers, at height.

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What we install

We install complete external lightning protection systems to BS EN IEC 62305-3, and the internal surge protection that goes with them under Part 4. Air termination on the roof, down conductors on the elevations, earth termination in the ground, bonding to structural metalwork and incoming services, and test clamps sited where an engineer can actually reach them in twelve months’ time.

Our fitters are directly employed and hold recognised accreditation. We do not subcontract the installation, which is why we are willing to certify it.

That last point about test clamps matters more than it sounds. A system installed with joints buried behind cladding or above a sealed ceiling is a system that cannot be tested, and an untestable system will fail its next inspection on paper even if the conductors are sound.

Scope

  • Air termination networks in copper or aluminium, mesh or rod based.
  • Down conductors, surface fixed or integrated into the frame.
  • Earth electrodes, plates, mats and ring earths.
  • Equipotential bonding and lightning equipotential bonding.
  • Test clamps and inspection pits.
  • Type 1, 2 and 3 surge protective devices.
  • Repairs and upgrades to systems installed by others.

Access is the job

Braileys began as a steeplejack business, and that is still the part of the work that separates us. Church spires, industrial chimneys, clock towers and masts are not edge cases for us, they are where the company came from.

We select the access method to suit the structure rather than to suit the equipment we happen to own, which on a tall narrow structure often means roped access rather than a scaffold that would cost more than the system.

Heritage and church work

New build and retrofit

On a new build we work to the frame programme. Connections go on to the pile caps, continuity is established through the frame with continuous strip or starter bars, and the earth termination system goes in while the ground is still open. Done in that order the system is largely invisible when the building is finished.

On an existing building the constraint is different. The conductor route has to work with what is already on the elevation, the earth termination has to go in around existing services, and the building usually has to keep operating while we do it. We programme around occupancy rather than asking you to programme around us.

Common questions

Can an electrician install lightning protection?

An electrician can install surge protective devices inside the building under BS 7671, but the external lightning protection system should be installed by a lightning protection specialist. BS EN IEC 62305 has its own competence requirements, its own testing regime and its own trade body in ATLAS, and the work is done at height on the outside of the structure.

When should lightning protection be installed?

On a new build, alongside the groundworks and the frame if the frame is being used as the down conductor system, and before the roof finishes go on. On an existing building, as soon as a risk assessment or an insurer identifies the need. Installation on an occupied building is normal and does not usually require it to be closed.

What is the installation standard for lightning protection?

BS EN IEC 62305-3 covers the physical installation: the air termination system, down conductors, earth termination system, materials, minimum sizes and separation distances. Part 4 covers protection of electrical and electronic systems inside the structure. Components themselves are covered by the BS EN IEC 62561 series.

How long does an installation take?

A straightforward commercial roof is usually days rather than weeks. Height, access and the number of down conductors drive the programme more than floor area. Spires, towers and buildings needing rope access or scaffold take longer, and we will tell you which category you are in before you commit.

What do I get at handover?

A test certificate for the completed system, the initial verification results, a log book to record future inspections, as installed drawings, and the earth resistance readings taken at each test point. Insurers and building control both ask for these, so they are issued as standard rather than on request.

Transport for London
  • What we did for

    Transport for London

    Transport for London is one of the infrastructure operators on our client list. Work on the transport network is less about the lightning protection itself than about everything around it: access, permits, isolation and a programme that cannot overrun.

    Find Out More

Need a quote?

Send us the address, a roof plan if you have one, and what you already know about the building. We will tell you what is needed and what it costs. Call 01892 667258 or use the form.

Talk to Braileys
01892 667258