Hi, Chuck
Sorry for the delay in responding. My Road Runner service(?) has been
acting up! 8<{)
I see that Rocky already beat me to the punch with the rather convoluted
link. The article you asked about was in Volume 8 Issue 4 and the
follow-up correction was in Volume 9 Issue 1. For those who don't want
to follow the link, I've pasted both articles below
John (Old Fartz & TLS #37) Lieberman
When Do You Pull the Plug?
By John Lieberman, Editor
Jlieberman@sport.rr.com
Its pretty well-known within our safety community that a Solo Safety
Steward can pull the plug on an event for safety reasons. But what,
exactly, does that mean? What constitutes a safety reason? When DO
you pull the plug?
The answers to those questions are more complicated than the questions,
themselves. But the simple answer is this: Any time you feel that
conditions make an event unsafe for spectators, course workers, and/or
drivers - and you cant find a suitable way to fix the problem - its
time to pull the plug; pack up your toys; and go home.
Now, with that said, lets look at some examples of when this might happen.
First, I dont think any of us will disagree that an event site can pose
some major safety problems. If a portion of the pavement starts
breaking up during an event, we need to move the course to avoid the
breakup. If we cant do so safely, then maybe its time to pull the
plug. Same goes for fixed objects, loose gravel, grade changes, and
things of that nature. If we cant find a way to design the course
around them, or move the course away from them when potential problems
arise, maybe its time to look elsewhere.
Second, theres the weather. We talk a lot about lightning, but when
should we shut things down - at least temporarily - if theres lightning
in the area? Theres no simple answer to that question, because
lightning can strike just about anywhere at any time. But the National
Weather Service says:
To determine how far away lightning is in miles, the number of seconds
between the flash and the thunder is divided by five. .. When you see
lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. (One thousand one --
one thousand two -- one thousand three, etc) If that time is 30
seconds or less, the thunderstorm is within 6 miles of you and is
dangerous. Seek shelter immediately. (To put that another way, each
five seconds between the lightning and the thunder represents one mile.)
The National Weather Service goes on to say: The threat of lightning
continues for a much longer period than most people realize. Wait at
least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before leaving shelter.
Don't be fooled by sunshine or blue sky! If you can hear thunder,
lightning is close enough that it could strike your location at any
moment. Lightning often strikes as far as 10 miles away from any
rainfall. Many deaths from lightning occur ahead of the storm because
people try and wait to the last minute before seeking shelter.
Whats the best shelter? If theres no building nearby, the best
shelter is probably your race car or tow vehicle. The rubber tires help
insulate you from your surroundings but they dont, necessarily, keep
you totally safe from lightning.
But its not just lightning that can cause us to pull the plug - or at
least delay an event - because of weather. What about heavy rain? Ive
attended events where its rained so hard that the water was ponding
dangerously deep on the course. It was so deep that it could yank the
steering wheel out of a drivers hand if he/she hit that puddle at speed
or even cause the car to hydroplane. The drivers couldnt see the
course or the corner workers and the corner workers couldnt see the
cars because of the amount of water they were displacing. That,
obviously, is reason to shut the event down until the water has a chance
to drain. Some sites drain very well. But, if the site doesnt drain
properly, and theres still deep water ponded on the course, then maybe
its time to head for the house and try again some other time.
And dont forget high winds! These may or may not be associated with
thunderstorms. A strong wind can wreak havoc with an event even on a
sunny day.
As weve said before, having a battery-operated weather alert radio is
cheap insurance if you run your events in an area where weather can
become a problem on short notice.
But what about some of the other things that have absolutely nothing to
do with the event site or the weather?
How about a nearby grass or woods fire thats sending billowing clouds
of smoke over the event site? That would at least be cause for a delay
until the smoke clears. If it doesnt clear, that would probably be a
good reason to pack up shop and try again some other time. And, if its
one of those raging fires that jumps fire-breaks and threatens
everything in its path, maybe its time to get out while you can.
A few years ago, the folks in San Antonio had to deal with a train
derailment near their event site. The derailed train was leaking
hazardous chemicals and they had to beat a hasty retreat from the site -
as ordered by the authorities who were in charge at the time.
This may seem far-fetched, but maybe not so for our friends on the left
coast or anywhere else thats on or near a fault line. What do you do
in the event of an earthquake that causes the pavement to crack or
buckle? The general consensus is to get the heck out of there as fast
as you can because there can always be after-shocks.
Have we answered all of your questions or addressed every possible
situation that could arise? I hardly think so! But, as I said going
into this article: Any time you feel that conditions make an event
unsafe for spectators, course workers, and/or drivers - and you cant
find a suitable way to fix the problem - its time to pull the plug;
pack up your toys; and go home. Theres always another day.
I Made a Weather Oops!
By John Lieberman, Editor
Jlieberman@sport.rr.com
Boy! Did I ever pull a booboo in the last issue. In my When Do You
Pull the Plug? article, I said, Whats the best shelter? If theres
no building nearby, the best shelter is probably your race car or tow
vehicle. The rubber tires help insulate you from your surroundings but
they dont, necessarily, keep you totally safe from lightning. Well, I
was right about your race car or tow vehicle being the best place (short
of a building) to seek shelter but I was wrong about the reason. And I
should have known better, since Ive been a radio newsman for nearly 31
years and covering severe weather has always been one of my strong
points. NOW I know!
As was pointed out to me by SSS Jim Garry, This is a misconception. The
tires are not what keeps you safe. It is the steel structure of the
vehicle that protects the occupants of a vehicle. When lightning strikes
a metal vehicle, the outer surface of the structure carries most of the
electricity. The persons inside this
steel box are protected by a partial Faraday Cage
(http://www.boltlightningprotection.com/Elemental_Faraday_Cage.htm) .
Thus, it is not recommended that people take shelter from lightning in
their Corvette or convertible (top down or up). It was an otherwise well
written and important article to share.
But it wasnt just Jim who chided me on my mistake. NER SSS Dan Cernese
put it this way. However, please be informed that your comment about
the tires of a car providing any insulation from lightning is absolutely
false. It's the steel cage that surrounds you. If your vehicle doesn't
have one, you could be in danger. This is demonstrated at Theater of
Electricity in the Museum of Science, Boston
http://www.mos.org/sln/toe/toe.html (home of the world's largest
air-insulated Van de Graaff generator).
Thanks, guys. I really appreciate your input. As I said earlier in
this newsletter, we can all learn from each other.
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