MaintenX Stresses the Importance of Staying Safe During Summer Storms
TAMPA, Fla. (PRWEB) June 24, 2018 -- During Lightning Safety Awareness Week, June 24-30, MaintenX stresses the importance of safety though lightning education and information. This week, MaintenX shares their tips for protecting your building, roofers and personnel from lightning.
“Understanding that lightning is one of the most dangerous weather hazards and how much it costs to repair structural damage caused by lightning is a great motivator to protect yourself and your building through safety measures,” said Bill Schaphorst, MaintenX’s VP of Business Development.
You can protect your building from lightning by installing lightning rods to prevent a direct strike to your home or business. A complete lightning protection system is necessary to prevent surges and potential fires caused by lightning hitting a structure and going through the structure's wires and pipes. This system should also include surge protection for outlets, especially those linked to communication lines, computer equipment, sensitive machines or vulnerable appliances. This also protects employees from electrical shock through contact with appliances.
A strike to a power line can be devastating. That’s why it’s important to consider lightning protection for people as well as structures. This is particularly important for employees, like roofers, who are likely to find themselves outdoors in a storm. Thankfully, there are warning signs that can give personnel enough time to protect themselves.
Before a large storm, as a cold front encounters a warm front, a haze can build causing the air to feel humid. Large cloud formations in the shape of an anvil indicate a storm is coming, so if you see one take cover. If you get caught outside during a storm and don’t have time to take cover, make sure to get down from any elevated places such as a roof or ladder. Get as low to the ground as possible and avoid items that could be struck by lightning, such as air conditioners or chimneys.
“The safety of our technicians is of the utmost importance,” said Schaphorst. “That’s why we always give them best practices to avoid the danger of a lightning strike, if they are stuck outdoors during a thunderstorm.” MaintenX trains technicians to get indoors as soon as possible and if there is no shelter nearby, bring your body as low to the ground as possible to avoid being an attraction point for lightning. If indoor shelter is unavailable, seek shelter inside a car. Water is an electrical conductor so get out of any water and as far away as possible. An act as simple as checking the forecast for the area before spending time outdoors is another great way MaintenX encourages technicians to protect themselves from lightning.
For more information about MaintenX and the services they provide, visit http://www.maintenx.com.
ABOUT MAINTENX INTERNATIONAL:
MaintenX International is a fully-licensed, facilities repair company. They are one of the largest national self-performing facility maintenance and repair companies in the U.S. MaintenX has created a network of knowledgeable and professional technicians throughout the country. With their team of well-trained technicians, MaintenX self-performs and manages facility maintenance for clients. In the event there is not a MaintenX technician in the area, the company has fostered a network of preferred vendor partners throughout the country to provide superior service for their clients. For more than 35 years, MaintenX has been expertly serving multi-location retail stores, restaurant chains, and Fortune 500 companies nationwide.
Bill Schaphorst, MaintenX International, http://www.maintenx.com, +1 813-297-9348, [email protected]
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