Lightning warning system for OH&S

McConnell Dowell, an Australian and international engineering, construction, building and maintenance company, is using Campbell Scientific data loggers and sensors within its new weather monitoring and marine navigation system installed at Hay Point in North Queensland. The main purpose of the system is for Operations Health & Safety, ensuring safe working conditions for McConnell Dowell personnel. Campbell Scientific equipment being used in the system includes three CR800 data loggers, three RIMCO rain gauges, one CS475 radar sensor being used for wave height monitoring, and the Campbell Scientific CS110 and Strike Guard Lightning Warning system.

The lightning warning system provides early warning of the potential for lightning strikes by measuring the local vertical component of the atmospheric electric field at the Earth’s surface. Combined with the Strike Guard optical-coincidence lightning sensor, which detects actual lightning strikes up to 32 km from the installation site, a decision-making algorithm provides early warning to site operators of the potential for lightning within the vicinity of the construction site. Integrated with the other measured parameters, the data is used to assist in decision making for OH&S.

James Palmer, McConnell Dowell’s Radio Communications Marine Navigations and Weather Systems supervisor, said, “The system has been of great benefit and vital importance from a safety and commercial perspective, and the equipment is very specialised for the project we have undertaken.”

Work on interfacing the Campbell Scientific equipment into a complete turnkey solution for McConnell Dowell was undertaken by Marcom Watson, a Launceston-based company specialising in Marine Electronics and Radio Communications and a recommended Campbell Scientific equipment integrator. Brett Victory, Managing Director of Marcom Watson, and their senior engineer Colin Kew headed up the system installation in partnership with Palmer.

“Brett Victory and the Marcom Watson team have been fantastic,” said Palmer. “I could not have asked for a more experienced professional and trustworthy team to work with.”

Dr David Hammond, Application Engineer at Campbell Scientific Australia, said, “It was a pleasure working with Brett and the team at Marcom Watson in delivering state-of-art measurement systems they could interface into their custom-built weather monitoring system for McConnell Dowell. The quality of the final turnkey weather monitoring system provided by Marcom Watson is first class.”