As our country’s lightning protection standards evolve in 2025, Richard Evert* of the Earthing and Lightning Protection Association (ELPA) examines the implications of forthcoming changes to current practices.
The SABS and SANS framework
The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) serves as the custodian of South African National Standards (SANS) under the mandate of the Standards Act 8 of 2008. SANS are developed and maintained through a consensus-based approach, employing transparent and balanced processes that involve diverse stakeholders.
This collaborative methodology ensures SANS reflects industry best practices, aligns with international standards, and remains practically implementable across relevant sectors. As a member of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), SABS maintains access to all IEC international standards and collaborates with the experts who develop them.
Evolution of lightning protection standards
Two key standards govern lightning protection methodology in South Africa. (See Table 1.)
SANS 10313: South Africa's first official lightning protection standard was published in 1952 as SABS 03 ("The protection of structures against lightning"), followed by SABS 03A ("for dwelling houses") in 1975. The standard was renamed to SABS 0313 in 1999 and subsequently to SANS 10313 ("Protection against lightning – Physical damage to structures and life hazard") in 2005, aligning with corresponding international IEC standards. The current version is Edition 3.3, published in 2018.
SANS 62305: This comprehensive four-part standard suite for "Protection against Lightning" is maintained by the IEC and provides best-practice lightning protection measures to mitigate lightning threats. Originally adopted in 1990 and unified as SANS 62305 in 2007, the current version is Edition 2.0, published in 2011.
Standards Development 2025: Edition 3.0 of IEC 62305 was published in 2024 and will be adopted as SANS in 2025. The Earthing and Lightning Protection Association (ELPA) will coordinate workshops with partner organisations to communicate the significant changes in Edition 3.0 and their impact on current practices. Additionally, SABS has proposed standards development work to align SANS 10313 (Edition 4.0), scheduled to commence in 2025.
Comprehensive lightning protection framework
Lightning presents dual threats: (1) direct strikes to structures and (2) induced voltages generated by lightning current passing through conductive paths. (See Figure 1.)
Without adequate protection, direct strikes can cause catastrophic damage to buildings and pose severe risks to occupants.
A Lightning Protection System (LPS) specifically refers to the components designed to safely conduct high-current direct lightning strikes to ground, rather than being a generic term for all lightning protection measures.
SANS 62305-3 and SANS 10313: A complete LPS consists of (1) an "external LPS" to control the transfer of lightning current and (2) an "internal LPS" to manage induced voltages and consequent currents from the external LPS. The methodologies for implementing these systems are detailed in SANS 62305-3 and SANS 10313. (See Figure 1.)
SANS 62305-4: Addresses indirect lightning strikes that introduce surges via conductive elements such as power and communication lines. Lightning Surge Protection Measures (LSPM) control these induced voltages according to methodologies outlined in SANS 62305-4. (See Figure 1.)
These standards separate the surge protection measures (over-voltage control) design work for LPS and LSPM. They need to be addressed separately and then integrated when both LPS and LSPM are required.
SANS 62305-1: Establishes fundamental principles, parameters, and strategies for lightning protection – the foundation for asset owners' and designers' responsibilities. (See Figure 2.)
SANS 62305-2: Risk Management – Any decision to forgo lightning protection should only be made after conducting a data-driven lightning risk assessment and validating potential impacts. This approach allows actual losses to be compared against projected losses if an incident occurs, enabling informed reconsideration of protection decisions. Risk assessments not based on empirical data may result in unexpected financial burdens. (See Figure 2.)
Regulatory considerations
Whether direct-strike lightning protection should be legislated similarly to safe electrical installations remains an open question beyond this article's scope. ELPA is addressing several critical areas:
- Service provider competencies;
- Recognised qualifications;
- Governance frameworks;
- Standardised methodology for consistent and reliable lightning risk assessments; and
- Stakeholder awareness and education.
Until technically auditable measures considered in the risk analysis (see Figure 2) have established thresholds for mandatory adoption, the "authority having jurisdiction" will remain with asset owners and property risk managers.
*About the Author
Richard Evert serves as chairperson of the SABS subcommittee TC67 SC06 responsible for maintaining the SANS lightning protection standards.
