Jan Meppelink received his Dipl.-Ing. Degree and Dr.-Ing. in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Berlin. From 1984 to 1988, he was Leader of Basic Development High Voltage Engineering, ABB High Voltage Technologies, Zürich, Switzerland. He was Leader of the study group "Principle Development" in High Voltage Engineering and Gas-Insulated Switchgear (GIS), especially for the performance verification testing of 800 kV Gas-Insulated Switchgear and commissioning of the 550 kV GIS Itaipu/Brazil, the development of the EMI proof design of secondary equipment for high voltage substations, research on propagation and measurement of very fast transients in GIS and development of ultra-fast voltage dividers for very fast transient measurements. From 1988 to 1992, he was Manager Projects International Gas-Insulated Switchgear, ABB High Voltage Technologies, Zürich, Switzerland. He was Leader of the Department for order handling and project management and also Leader of theEngineering Department. Since 1992, he is Professor for High Voltage Engineering at the University of applied Sciences, Soest, Germany. Since 2008, he is Course Director of the Study Course "Engineering and Project Management". His field of research includes high voltage engineering, lightning and over voltage protection and along with the study course engineering and project management, lean management, process management, project management and sales engineering. Since 2015, he is Professor Emeritus. He is Head of the German working group AK 251-04 dealing with standardisation of lightning protection system components and Member of IEC TC81, MT8, MT14, MT21 and Cenelec TC81X WG2.

Answers the questions on the danger to persons in the event of a lightning strike

Describes the physical processes that lead to the endangerment of persons.

Describes the solutions for the protection of persons in the event of a lightning strike

Introduction.- Model for calculating the hazard.- Exemplary buildings with earthing system type A and type B.- Permissible limits for the cause of death due to ventricular fibrillation.- Materials.- Danger from lightning currents 10/350, 1/200; 0.25/100 according to type of coupling.- Effect of site insulation with asphalt according to IEC 62305-3.- Effect of site insulation with gravel according to IEC 62305-3.- Water-permeable site insulation.- Danger due to step voltage.- Summary of the hazard posed by a lightning rod.- Measures to reduce step and touch voltage as per IEC 62305-3.- Insulating down conductor.- National and international statistics of deaths and injuries.- Statistics of relevant parameters of lightning.- Calculation of risk RA for death and injury of living beings due to electric shock as a result of touch- and step voltages according to IEC 62305-2.- Strength of air gaps at inductivelycoupled surge voltages.- Numeric calculation.- Applied pulse shapes 0.25/100 according to IEC 62305-1.- Propagation and velocity of surface discharges.- Annex A: A contribution to the limitation of step voltages.- Bibliography.