Do all areas and facilities storing or handling ammunition require a lightning protection system (LPS)?

Do all areas and facilities storing or handling ammunition require a lightning protection system (LPS)?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only outdoors
• D. Only in high-value facilities

Answer: (A)

Lightning protection is about preventing ignition from electrical surges and heat that a lightning event can generate. Ammunition is highly sensitive to sparks, arcing, and excessive energy in electrical systems, so a direct lightning strike or a surge entering a storage or handling area can create an ignition source. An effective lightning protection system helps by intercepting direct strikes and safely conducting the energy to ground, while internal protections limit transient voltages on wiring and equipment that could trigger an arc or heat buildup near sensitive materials. Because the risk can come from both direct strikes and induced surges, and because any area where ammunition is stored or handled could be exposed to such events, every such facility should have an LPS. Relying only on outdoor protection or on protection for only high-value facilities would leave other areas vulnerable to ignition risks.

Lightning protection is about preventing ignition from electrical surges and heat that a lightning event can generate. Ammunition is highly sensitive to sparks, arcing, and excessive energy in electrical systems, so a direct lightning strike or a surge entering a storage or handling area can create an ignition source. An effective lightning protection system helps by intercepting direct strikes and safely conducting the energy to ground, while internal protections limit transient voltages on wiring and equipment that could trigger an arc or heat buildup near sensitive materials.

Because the risk can come from both direct strikes and induced surges, and because any area where ammunition is stored or handled could be exposed to such events, every such facility should have an LPS. Relying only on outdoor protection or on protection for only high-value facilities would leave other areas vulnerable to ignition risks.