Factors contributing to a long-term decrease in national lightning fatality rates: case study of the United Kingdom with wider implications

Decadal average lightning fatality rates in the United Kingdom have decreased markedly from 1.09 deaths per million population per year (M−1 yr−1) in the 1850s to 0.02 M−1 yr−1 by the 2010s. Factors contributing to the decrease are explored. They include a large reduction in the national workforce engaged in manually-intensive agriculture. Consequently, agricultural workforce deaths fell from 38% of all lightning deaths around 1850–9% by 2000. The percentage of the national population living in urban areas, where many jobs were indoors, increased. As buildings were modernised with electric and plumbing circuits they offered greater protection from lightning. Consequently, deaths indoors fell from 39% in 1850 to 11% in 1950, and with none in the past 50 years. Other factors contributing to lower fatality rates in recent decades included improved thunderstorm forecasts, lightning location detection systems, stricter safety regulations for outdoor workers, advances in the medical treatment of lightning casualties, better communication and road networks to request and receive medical help promptly, and greater public awareness of the lightning threat. Factors slowing down the fatality rate decrease include population growth and, in recent decades, the increased participation in outdoor leisure and sports pursuits in exposed locations. Fatality rates in other countries are explored. It is suggested that by recognising the influence each factor has on lightning fatality rates, countries currently experiencing high lightning fatality rates may be able to accelerate and enhance the beneficial impacts of some factors, albeit after adjustments to reflect their national social, economic and cultural characteristics

Lightning deaths in the UK: a 30-year analysis of the factors contributing to people being struck and killed

In the UK in the past 30 years (1987-2016), 58 people were known to have been killed by lightning, that is, on average, two people per year. The average annual risk of being struck and killed was one person in 33 million. If only the past ten years are considered, a period with fewer average lightning deaths, the risk was one person in 71 million. The likelihood of being killed by lightning is much less than it was a century ago when it was around one person in every two million per year. The current UK lightning risk is compared with USA risk. The risk of being killed by lightning in the UK differs by the activity being undertaken at the time. This paper groups activities into three broad types. During the past 30 years, work-related activities accounted for 15 per cent of all deaths, daily routine for 13 per cent, and outdoor leisure, recreation and sports pursuits for 72 per cent. Leisure walking on hills, mountains and cliff-tops together with participating in outdoor sports activities, notably cricket, fishing, football, golf, rugby and watersports, gave rise to around half of all leisure, recreation and sports activity deaths. The highest number of deaths occurred amongst the 20-29 year-age-range. Men accounted for 83 per cent of all lightning deaths reflecting the higher proportion of male participation in outdoor work-related activities and specific outdoor leisure activities (hill and mountain walking) and sports activities (cricket, fishing, football and golf). Sundays gave rise to 26 per cent of all deaths reflecting this is a day when large numbers of people participate in higher lightning risk leisure activities. The four months from May to August accounted for 80 per cent of all deaths. A specific study is conducted of the synoptic and weather situations during days when thunderstorms developed and resulted in deaths amongst people undertaking leisure walking activities. Overall, this paper highlights the factors that should help to lessen the risk of being killed by lightning in the future

Lightning injuries in Northern Ireland

Introduction: Lightning injuries are uncommon with scarce reports detailing incidence and local experience. We present a case study of three patients involved in a single lightning strike in Northern Ireland with a review of the incidence of similar injuries in the province. Methods: Data from TORRO’s National Lightning Incidents Database between 1987 and 2016 (30 years) were searched to identify victims of lightning injuries in Northern Ireland. Information on three patients with lightning injuries that were managed in our regional burns and plastic surgery service was collected and examined. A supplementary search in hospital records was conducted for the last 20 years to identify additional data. Results: Prior to our study, six victims of lightning injuries were identified from the database, of which five survived and one died. Our three patients comprised of two children and one accompanying adult. All of them survived however the adult suffered cardiac arrest and required a prolonged period of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Conclusion: While lightning injuries are rare in Northern Ireland, this is the first report of more than one person affected by a single lightning incident in the province. In our limited experience, immediate public response and prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts facilitated by automated defibrillators result in a favourable outcome