Apart from the electrical and mechanical engineering procedures, the renovation of a purification plant in the town of Pitten also involved the fitting of a lightning arrester – something that needed nerves of steel. The two reactors to be protected from lightning are 29 metres in height. And apart from the height, another challenge was the “Ex Zone 2” at the upper edges of the reactors. That made the installation of the lightning protection that much more difficult. Compliance was required with special fire protection standards. If lightning strikes and there is a possible explosive atmosphere, an explosion or fire must be prevented. It has to be possible to safely dissipate the surge voltage to the earth. Two professional industrial climbers had to be deployed for fitting the high-voltage resistant insulated conductors, because neither cherry pickers nor lifting platforms can reach such lofty heights.

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