Page 61 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2019

duced electrical transits from local lightning events.
Lightning Protection Systems
A lightning protection system larger than any that has previously existed is now being utilized at the Florida spaceport. Lightning protection systems have continued to be adapted and upgraded as the space program has developed. Apollo era systems utilized a bonded structure that drew current through the structure. For the space shuttle, the system consisted of a lightning mast at the top of the pads service structure with two catenary wires, diverging cur- rents into the ground.
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The system that was put in place during the end of the 2000’s featured large cables strung between three 594-foot-tall steel and fiberglass towers. These catenary wire systems are prominent in the skyline above the launch area. The lightning protection systems also feature analysis systems that will allow launch managers to track and study the lightning strikes that do occur, helping prevent delays in the launch schedule. There are now expansive databases of local lightning data that can be utilized to predict and react to weather patterns.
The lightning protection systems prevent damage to the launch vehicles, but there is still the matter of protecting individuals who maintain and service the towers. The technicians who keep the lightning protection systems in working order have to be able to access the inside of the towers.
Need for Non-Conductive Fall Protection
Jesse Peters, a mechanical engineer at the center, was given the task of redesigning the fall arrest system. The new system is a more user-friendly, fully non-conductive fall protection safety restraint system. As Peters began to research potential options for replacing the existing system, he found that there were no off- the-shelf options available on the commercial market. Electrically non-conductive fall protection systems were previously unavail- able. This technology creates a safe, easily integrated alternative to traditional fall arrest systems that utilize metal and other conduc- tive materials.
“This project was initially started because our operations per- sonnel who regularly work on the tower identified the lightning tower mast ladders as a safety hazard, due to the lack of a fall arrest system,” Peters said. “I was brought in to address this need for a safer system but we soon discovered no commercial solutions were available that would satisfy the requirement for the permanently installed system to be electrically non-conductive. This user need drove the design of the electrically non-conductive ladder fall pro- tection system.”
Peters worked with one of the operations engineers, Mike Wis- nom, to develop and test the new materials that would comprise the system. The design centered on the incorporation of the Sur- Loc fiberglass rail. After Wisnom found this piece, Peters was able to design the rest of the system around it, creating the first fully non-conductive fall arrest system.
This design has broad application across the industry, where an electrically non-conductive fall protection system is needed. The design and integration of this system are widely applicable to other industries and users. There are a number of potential applications in telecommunication towers, radio towers, chemical processing
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