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With the arrival of summer and the national observance of Lightning Safety Week, the Postal Service wants employees to be aware of the dangers lightning presents and actions they can take to minimize the risks of being struck.
Lightning, sometimes called “the underrated killer,” ranks as a greater danger to the average person than tornados, floods, or hurricanes. Of the 1,000 people struck directly by lightning in the U.S. each year, about 62 are killed.
Nearly 98 percent of all victims are outdoors when they’re struck. Half of the victims are hit when they’re near water or standing beneath a tree. Another 1,000 are injured indirectly when lightning strikes objects or the ground around them.
Here are some tips to help avoid being struck by lightning:
- When a lightning storm approaches, go inside or find shelter in a vehicle with the windows closed.
- If you must be outside, avoid open areas and stay away from tall trees, towers, utility poles, wires and metal fences.
- If you can’t get indoors, go to a low–lying, open place away from power lines and bodies of water. Never go under a tree.
- Don’t lie flat on the ground — you’re a larger target. Make yourself small by squatting low to the ground and placing your hands on your knees with your head between them.
- If you’re boating or swimming, get to land and find shelter. If you hear thunder, don’t use a corded phone except in an emergency. Cordless phones and cell phones are safe to use.
- Keep away from electrical equipment and wiring. Water pipes conduct electricity.
- Don’t take a bath or shower or use other plumbing during a storm.
