Best Practice in Lightning Protection System

Panelist 1

Chandima Gomes (Professor, Wits University, South Africa)

Brief Biography of Chandima Gomes

Prof. Chandima Gomes is a Distinguished Professor of High Voltage Engineering and the Chair of ESKOM Power Plant Engineering Institute (EPPEI)-HVAC, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He is also the Director of the Center of Excellence on High Voltage Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand.
Prof. Chandima obtained a First Class Degree in Physics from the University of Colombo in 1993. He has done his PhD Degree (1999) and some postdoctoral research on lightning protection and high voltage experiments at Uppsala University, Sweden. In addition to lightning protection, grounding and bonding, he is also an expert in electromagnetic compatibility, occupational safety, atmospheric physics and research methodology. He is ranked among the 2% highest performing researchers in the world in the field of energies by the Stanford University, USA from 2019 to 2022 and he is also a highly rated scientist by NRF, South Africa. And in AD Scientific Index 2023: Engineering: Best Scientist in University/Institution / 9th in South Africa / 15th in African Continent. He has published nearly 400 international research publications that include 150 journal publications, 225 conference publications and 20 books/book chapters. He is one of the topmost consultants in lightning protection and electrical safety at global frontiers.

Panelist 2

Mitchell Guthrie (Consultant, USA)

Brief Biography of Mitch Guthrie

Mitchell Guthrie is an Independent Engineering Consultant specializing in the application of lightning sciences. He began his career with the US Navy in the field of electrical explosives safety with responsibilities in lightning risk assessment, protection and personnel and helicopter-generated electrostatic discharge. He has over 40 years experience in the development of lightning and surge protection standardization at industry, national and international levels, including tenures as Chairman of NFPA 780 and IEC TC 81. He currently serves as Convenor of IEC 62305 Application Guide and Conformity Assessment WGs) and is a member or IEC TC 64 / Maintenance Team 4.

Mitchell is a volunteer member of ACLENet Lightning Protection Working Group and SAIEE. He has authored numerous national and international papers and book contributions in the areas of lightning protection and safety. He currently supports LPI in upgrading Accreditation for their Installer Certification Program to ISO/IEC 17024.

Mitchell is recipient of the National Lightning Safety Institute Individual Lightning Safety Award, NFPA Committee Service Award and IEC 1906 Award. He was also recently honored as an ACLENet Hero of the Month.

Panelist 3

S. Gopa Kumar (CAPE Electric, India)

Brief Biography of S. Gopa Kumar

S. Gopa Kumar is an Electrical Engineer, Managing Director of Cape Electric. He is having more than 28 years’ experience in electrical safety, lightning protection, EMI/EMC etc.

Carried out 100’s of site studies on failure analysis of electronic equipment and 100’s of electrical accident analysis including various fire accidents from electricity, conducted more than 1000 trainings in various countries on subject of his expertise. He is working as a consultant in several large scale industrial and defence projects in the subject of safety and EMI/EMC.

He is a member in the working groups of the following Indian and IEC technical committees.

Bureau of Indian Standards       

  • ETD 20 (National Electrical Code of India 2023, IS732, IS3043, IS/IEC 62305)
  • ETD 30 (surge Arresters),
  • ETD 50 (LVDC)
  • National Building Code-2016 (electrical committee),

International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

  • TC64: Electrical safety and shock protection (MT 3, MT 12, MT40, MT 41, PT 60364-8-3, WG 43.)
  • TC81: Lightning protection of structures (ahG 19, MT 3, MT 14, MT 21, WG 18)
  • SC 37 A: SPD’s for protection of electronics from lightning (WG03 & WG05)

Published articles about shock protection and fire from electricity in various magazines and published the book, THE MISSING LINK in the subject of electrical safety.

Safety and awareness campaigns of CISSA / LARC organised

He is the technical coordinator of Lightning Awareness and Research Center (LARC), Trivandrum. The centre conducted 100’s of training classes in Kerala on lightning protection from 2004 onwards. More info available in the link Lightning Protection | CISSA – Centre for Innovation in Science and Social Action

LARC also has taken up mass movement in electrical safety called as “VIDYUT SURAKSHIT BHARAT ABHIYAN” with a view to reduce electrical accidents in the country. More info available in the link Electrical equipment installation and safety| Vidyut Suraksha Bharat Abhiyan.

VIDYUT SURAKSHIT BHARAT ABHIYAN is supported and participated by Bureau of Indian standards, CEA, Indian railways, ISRO, BHEL, various state government electrical inspectorates.

He is also the President of newly formed NATIONAL FEDERATION OF ENGINEERS FOR ELECTRICAL SAFETY. More information available in www.nfees.org

More information can be found at Trainings articles

Moderator

Ir. Dr. Siow Chun Lim (Senior Lecturer, Multimedia University, Malaysia)

Brief Biography of Ir. Dr. Siow Chun Lim

Ir. Dr. Siow Chun Lim received his Ph. D in Electrical Power Engineering from Universiti Putra Malaysia. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at Multimedia University, Malaysia. His research interest includes lightning risk assessment, electrical earthing material, sustainable energy and engineering education. He representing Malaysia in the IEC TC 81 (Lightning Protection). He is currently the Chair of Electrical Engineering Technical Division, The Institution of Engineers Malaysia and is also the Honorary Secretary of the ASEAN Engineering Inspectors – Electrical Installation (AEI) of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisation (AFEO). As a Council Member of IEM (2021-2023), he is serving in the Activities Standing Committee, Admission and Practical Training Standing Committee, Finance Committee and Information and Publication Committee. He is also the current Principal Bulletin Editor of Jurutera, a monthly publication of IEM. Back in November 2019, he founded a spinoff company which offers consultancy in the lightning risk assessment field. He is a professional electrical engineer registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia, a Professional HRD Corporation Certified Trainer and is also trained in Design Thinking. Dr. Siow is also a trainer in the field of lightning protection and is also serving as an External Examiner in an institution of higher learning in Malaysia. Since 2018, he has been actively promoting awareness of electrical engineering standards among electrical engineering undergraduates by speaking at more than 20 universities to date.