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I had a look at some standards (such as IEC 62305 & IEC 62561 Standards for Lightning Protection) on how lightning rods should be constructed, and also searched the internet. I found no real answers to this question, including Google and Stackexchange. There are of course some "suggestions", but none of them say this as a "rule".

I live in Germany, and in Germany, the responsible body for this work is "VDE Verband der Elektrotechnik Elektronik Informationstechnik e.V. Ausschuss für Blitzschutz und Blitzforschung (ABB.)" A useful official resource is available on their website.

Of course, in weather like this, I also think it's not a good idea, and as an electrical engineer, I want to protect my colleagues on my team. I can't do anything at the moment other than recommending to the top managers of my company that such installations be done during sunny weather.

Is there a rule or prohibition on when lightning rods may be installed?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Depends on where you are (laws vary around the world you know) but the question is a bit like "is there a law against playing with knives", the answer is only the law of common sense. \$\endgroup\$
    – Puffafish
    Feb 24 at 9:35
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    \$\begingroup\$ Welcome! Depends on local laws. Where I live, any electrical work must start with a risk assessment and thunderstorms or risk thereof is part of it, at which point you will be restricted to what you're allowed to do. \$\endgroup\$
    – winny
    Feb 24 at 9:38
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    \$\begingroup\$ Hello, thank you for your answers. I just edited my question to add my location. According to the occupational safety rules here, we also need to make this risk assessment. But since I am not an occupational safety expert, I have no idea about it. This is a very good idea and I will discuss it with our occupational safety specialist. \$\endgroup\$
    – onuryildiz
    Feb 24 at 9:45
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    \$\begingroup\$ I’m voting to close this question because it's an Occupational Health & Safety question, not an engineering question. \$\endgroup\$
    – brhans
    Feb 24 at 13:03
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    \$\begingroup\$ Professional golf tournaments use a device that looks for lightning strikes in the area. Play is suspended if it detects any. It is more sensitive than a human's eyes. If you work in high, unprotected areas, I recommend you get one of these devices. Then, you won't be relying on biased human opinion. Sorry, I don't know where to get one, only that they exist. \$\endgroup\$
    – Mattman944
    Feb 24 at 13:23

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VDE regulations are about the safety of installations and tools. Labor safety regulations are a different kettle.

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