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Kevin McpherspmFlag for Jamaica

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lighting strikes on my equipment

Dear Guys
We are having problem with lighting strikes on my equipment like for example my switches. This is the setup
Can some send me a documentation on grounding ICT equipment and also how to protect lighting strikes from the power side like for example if I am getting power from the generator how to protect
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John
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Grounding should be done at the main electrical panel by a qualified electrician.

If your power is subject to spikes, you should use power bars with surge protection to power switches.  

Main network gear should be on a proper Uninterruptible Power Supply (not a cheap battery backup device)

If you got a true lightening strike at your switch (inside) there would be some building damage. More likely you have some electrical power surges.  

A qualified electrician can check interior wiring as well.
Is the electrical outlet for your switch a 3 prong outlet?  Do you have proper grounded wiring where you plug in your computer gear?
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A good discussion can be found here  https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/27798684/Is-an-earth-ground-really-nessecary-for-server-rack.html

Now as for your generator, more information is required on that so experts can comment.
Also, you need to very certain your main panel truly is properly grounded because your generator may or may not be. Is it on a proper load transfer switch?
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Dr. Klahn

If you're getting lightning strikes anywhere near DP equipment, you need (a) lightning rods placed as far away as possible that still protect the equipment, and (b) mu-metal enclosures.  I don't know if even that will solve the problem.  You might have to go underground.

When a million amps comes down a plasma channel, the magnetic fields involved induce secondary currents in the equipment plenty sufficient to destroy it.  A direct or even close hit is not necessary ... and even if the equipment is not destroyed, the magnetic fields will scramble any flash memory by ripping charges off and through the substrates.
I have had a lightning strike. It was like an explosion and took the top of the chimney off. So in addition to the above, any direct hit will destroy things.
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ASKER

Each of the location were the ICT equipment is located have this setup

The switch is installed in a cabinet, then the switch its self have a grounding cable running from the switch to the grounding rod is this
sufficient....
No, it's not sufficient.  Despite what you may be told about "Faraday cages", in this situation the steel cabinet will intensify the magnetic field from a nearby strike and anything inside that cabinet will be fried.  A lightning strike nearby is very much like an EMP weapon.
Do we have cabinet that are built with out this metal material?????
how is this  mu-metal enclosures used....
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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John
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Mu metal is expensive and is used for magnetic shielding.

You can't totally protect against lightning but you can take reasonable precautions.  Read the comments in this thread again.

If you are that worried then make sure you have good insurance and have good backups so that if lightning does strike and gets through your precautions you are covered.
All information was good
Thanks