Local man struck by lightning

[JDgreen227]

Lansing State Journal, 6/10/04

A Delta Township man was taken to the hospital Wednesday after being struck by lightning while SITTING ON A TRACTOR waiting for a thunderstorm to pass. He was working on a sod farm and three other employees witnessed the incident, they said he was unconscious for about 10 seconds. His condition was not available late Wednesday.

Every sod farm I have seen is flat and I cannot understand why anyone would be foolish enough to remain seated on a tractor when a thunderstorm was in the area. In the past I have read that if you are in a car that gets hit by lightning you are reasonably safe because the rubber tires will insulate the vehicle so the lightning cannot reach a ground.

I assume the tractor had rubber tires but would have been grounded because it had a metal implement on the back.


Any comments or input? I am curious if the rubber tires actually provide a degree of safety.

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="red">( In the past I have read that if you are in a car that gets hit by lightning you are reasonably safe because the rubber tires will insulate the vehicle so the lightning cannot reach a ground.) </font>

The tire bit is a myth. The lightning has travelled miles through the air (an insulator) to get to the car. The tires aren't going to prevent it from travelling a few inches more.

The car usually provides safety because the metal exterior provides a conductive path around the occupants. All bets are off in convertibles and Corvettes. A tractor with a metal cab? Maybe.

 

[TBAR]

Wow, this post hits home with me. I was chased of the field three times last weekend because of lighting. I knew I was pushing my luck staying out as long as I did. Wish I had gotten some pictures. Lightning hit and blasted the bark off four trees within a 20 yard radius on my property. I am guessing it was a single stike that did it.


TBAR

 

[higgy]

The tires are not the protection factor as stated above. The car act as a Faraday cage wich is a conducting structure around what you are trying to protect. This was discovered by Michael Faraday, 1791–1867, A British physicist.

The tractor does not qualify as a Faraday cage as the person does not sit inside of the machine surrounded by metal, unless the tractor has a metal cab.

Dane

 

[JazzDad]

Was this Faraday dude in his car when he discovered this?
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[DaveNay]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Was this Faraday dude in his car when he discovered this?
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif )</font>

Or flying a kite in an electrical storm? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Dave

 

[Fireman_dcb]

Tires (or any other NON-pure rubber such as sneakers, bicycle tires, etc) have impurities that will conduct electricity through them and complete the circuit and ZAP. The fire depeartment I belong to does a training session with Jersey Central Power and Light - amazing what will conduct electricity.

 

[Big_A]

If the tires were such a good insulator as many people think, the lightning would never hit the car to begin with. It is looking for the path of least resistance to ground.

 

[chucko]

Don't count on being safe in a tractor even with a cab. You are toughing too much of the metal to be safe

 

[SnowRidge]

<font color="red"> (If the tires were such a good insulator as many people think, the lightning would never hit the car to begin with.) </font>

That's not really the case. Even if the tires were a perfect insulator, the lightning would still strike the car. It would simply jump straight from the rim or chassis to the earth, right through the air.

The few inches of air from the earth to the bottom of the car are nothing compared to the thousands of feet of air from the top of the car to the cloud.

 

[Soundguy]

High voltage that jumps a spark gap doesn;t mind rubber either.

Heck.. loot at carbon impregnated latex sheathing around fiberglass/carbon spark plug resistor wires wires...

Like the others said.. miles of air.. and an inch of rubber is just an inconvenience

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Don't count on being safe in a tractor even with a cab. You are toughing too much of the metal to be safe )</font>

I would imagine as long as you are not a part of the conduction path.. you are -somewhat- safe... high voltage makes lotsa detours.

Look at airplanes.. they get hit all the time..

Another way to look at it. You can touch a live wire, and if not grounded ( no path to ground whatsoever ) .. you won't get shocked...

Soundguy

 

[chucko]

Now rubber is far better than air....Don't line workers were rubber gloves?
But lightning kind of makes it's own rules and does some real funky things

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Now rubber is far better than air....Don't line workers were rubber gloves?
)</font>

I would imagine they wear rubber gloves because 'air' gloves don't seem to stay on well... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Soundguy

 

[GerardC]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( All bets are off in convertibles and Corvettes.)</font>

Boy; that's not comforting /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. G

 

[Egon]

Linemen and electricians working on touchy stuff wear heavy leather gloves with a rubber liner. Both are subject to inspection schedulesand have a specified replacement time.

Egon

 

[chucko]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I would imagine they wear rubber gloves because 'air' gloves don't seem to stay on well... )</font>

ok lets put it this way. A 220 power cord has maybe 1/8" rubber or plastic and you can pick it up with your hand with your foot in water. Now if air is so good of an insulator would you put your finger 1/8" from a raw 220 wire what about 440?. I am not saying they the tire on a car is what saves you just saying air in not the best insulator that is all.

 

[higgy]

It depends on the dielectric qualities of the insulation rubber. However, tires are not made from that type of materials as insulating the car from the ground is not what they are designed to do, in a linemans glove it is, but you will not get 60,000 miles on one of his gloves.

Dane

 

[TBAR]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I am not saying they the tire on a car is what saves you just saying air in not the best insulator that is all.
)</font>

Many cross country, high voltage electric lines on the poles are bare wire with the air between them being the insulator.


TBAR

 

[chucko]

yea but look how far apart those lines have to be.