Zachary Rothberg

Journal of Undergraduate Research
Volume 4, Issue 2 - October 2002

An Analysis of Lightning Safety Procedures in Florida Park and Recreation Departments

INTRODUCTION

According to the National Weather Service, in 1999, five individuals were killed by lightning strikes in Florida, ranking it as the top state in the nation for the highest number of lightning-related fatalities (National Weather Service, 2000). Since a lightning strike is often unpredictable, there is great concern over the safety procedures that should be implemented to protect against this natural, and often harmful, phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to examine lightning safety procedures utilized by Florida park and recreation departments.

LITERATURE REVIEW

It is estimated that 2000 thunderstorms and fifty to one hundred lightning flashes occur every second worldwide (Walsh, Bennett, Cooper, Holle, Kithill, & Lopez, 2000). In the United States, lightning occurs primarily in the eastern half with the majority of strikes occurring between late spring and mid-autumn. These strikes most often occur between mid-afternoon and late evening (Walsh, Hanley, Graner, Beam, & Bazluki, 1997).

The annual number of lightning-related injuries in the United States has been estimated to vary between 174 to several thousand. However, these numbers may be underestimated since not all individuals with lightning-related injuries seek medical attention. It is therefore assumed that such figures could be off by as much as 42% (Walsh et al., 1997).

Lightning consistently ranks as one of the top three causes of weather-related fatalities in this country. Approximately 100 fatalities occur in the U.S. each year from lightning (Walsh et al., 2000). Ninety-two percent of all lightning-related injuries occur during the months between May and September, with the majority of casualties occurring in July (Walsh et al., 2000). The respective ratio of male-to-female victims is four to one, with the average incident occurring to a healthy male in his mid-30s (Cherington, Yarnell, & Wappes, 1997). In the U.S., the most likely places to be struck and killed by lightning are: open fields (27%), under trees (14%), near water (8%), and golf-related (5%). Interestingly, all of these deaths were associated with being close to the highest object, or actually being the tallest object, within range of the strike. In addition to the injuries and deaths caused by lightning, it is estimated that lightning is responsible for five to six million dollars of property damage in the U.S. each year (Walsh et al., 2000).

The most likely time of being struck by lightning is between 11:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., which also coincides with the time that the majority of sport and recreational events take place (Cherington, Yarnell, & Wappes, 1997). Furthermore, it is estimated that over half (52%) of the injuries caused by lightning strikes involved people participating in an outdoor recreational activity (Walsh et al., 2000).

METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this investigation was to explore selected lightning-related safety procedures employed by municipal recreation and park departments in Florida. A questionnaire was developed and based upon a literature review, previous research on lightning safety, interviews with six recreation administrators and athletic training specialists at the college and high school levels, as well as the lightning recommendations provided by the American Meteorological Society (AMS; Holle Lopez, & Zimmerman, 1999), the National Athletic Training Association (NATA; Walsh, Bennett, Cooper, Holle, Kithill, & Lopez), and the National Federation of State High Schools Association (NFSHA; Schultz, Zinder, & Valovich, 2001). The questionnaire contained sixteen questions (some of which contained subparts) that measured agency background, perceived probability of lightning strikes and safety risks, and lightning-related safety procedures. Responses took the form of multiple choice, Likert scale, or dichotomous answers.

Content validity was determined by using the Delphi technique. Five experts in the field of sport and recreation administration were asked to give feedback on the content of the survey. Despite minor revisions, the original sixteen questions were retained for the survey, which was then mailed to all 178 municipal park and recreation directors in Florida. One hundred and twenty-five directors responded, yielding a 70% response rate.

RESULTS

Over half of the directors perceived lightning strikes to be a high or very high safety risk at their facilities. Despite this, only 35.5% of the respondents had a written lightning safety plan and only 40.7% indicated that they had a written action plan to follow in the event of a lightning strike. Almost 46% of the directors required their staff members to attend formal lightning safety training.

Less than one-third (31%) of respondents provided information on lightning safety to the participants of their programs. Seventy-five percent of the departments monitored for the likelihood of a lightning strike. Monitoring methods included watching the sky (59.3%), television weather reports (41.5%), radio weather reports (33.3%), Internet weather reports (32.5%), use of lightning detection devices (30.1%), telephoning the weather service (8.9%), and other methods (2.4%).

Approximately 42% of the respondents indicated that they had specifically designated lightning-safe shelters. In order to resume activities after the last flash of lightning or sound of thunder, 46% left it up to the coach to decide, 15.8% made it a decision for the management, and 12.9% relied on the 30-minute rule.

DISCUSSION

The NATA has several recommendations regarding lightning safety for athletic and outdoor recreational activities (Walsh, et al., 2000). One of these recommendations is to implement a lightning safety policy or action plan. In relation to this, only 35.5% of respondents to the survey indicated that their departments had written safety plans, and 40.7% had written action plans to follow in the event of a lightning strike.

A second NATA recommendation is to provide and identify lightning-safe shelters. Of the responding directors, only 42% indicated that designated lightning-safe shelters were available. Monitoring the sky for lightning is another recommendation. While 75% of park and recreation directors indicated that their departments monitored for the likelihood of a strike, less than 46% educated their staff on lightning safety.

Another important NATA recommendation is the 30-minute rule. It is recommended that all outdoor activity is postponed until, at least, 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder or lightning flash (Walsh et al., 2000). Therefore, it is important that a chain of command is established and a person with authority to remove participants from the activity is identified. Respondents indicated that they left the decision to resume activity up to the coach (46%), the management (15.8%), and/or based on the 30-minute rule (12.9%).

In addition to these guidelines, it is also wise to keep participants informed of lightning safety procedures. However, less than 31% of departments responding to the survey indicated that they provided lightning safety information to their participants.

CONCLUSION

Due to the risks associated with lightning, recreation and park departments should develop and implement appropriate lightning safety procedures. Recommendations from the AMS, NATA, and NFSHSA should be followed when appropriate. Policies and procedures should be regularly evaluated and modified when necessary. Finally, it is hoped that a similar study be conducted on the national level.

REFERENCES

Cherington, M., Yarnell, P.R., & Wappes, J. R. (1997, May). Lightning strikes: How to lower your risk. The Physician and Sports Medicine, 25 (5). Retrieved July 31, 2000, from World Wide Web: http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1997/05may/light.htm

Flynn, M. (1995). Lightning: A double hit for golf course operators. Marquette Sports Law Journal 6 (1), 133-151.

Holle, R.L., Lopez, R.E., & Zimmerman, C. (1999, October). Updated recommendations for lightning safety - 1998. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 80 (10), 2035-2041. Retrieved August 27, 2001 from World Wide Web: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/mag/holleetal.html

National Weather Service. (2000 October). Summary of Natural Hazard Statistics for 1999 in the U.S. National Weather Service: Congressional Information Service.

Schultz, S.J., Zinder, S.M., & Valovich, T.C. (2001). Sports medicine handbook. Indianapolis: National Federation of State High School Associations.

Walsh, K. M., Bennett, B., Cooper, M. A., Holle, R.L., Kithill, R., & Lopez, R.E. (2000). National Athletic Trainers' Association position statement: Lightning safety for athletics and recreation. Journal of Athletic Training, 35 (4), 471-477.

Walsh, K. M., Hanley, M. J., Graner, S. J., Beam, D., & Bazluki, J. (1997). A survey of lightning policy in selected division I colleges. Journal of Athletic Training, 32 (3), 206-210.

--top--

Back to the Journal of Undergraduate Research