Thunder strike for using carbon fiber boompole?

[rayellabad]

Hello all, I was told by a fellow sound mixer that if I´m using a carbon fiber boom pole I´m more likely to get hit by a thunder and that aluminium boompoles are safer in that matter. My guess is that that is just when shooting outdoors right? What about indoors? I live in the middle of the desert so it is really weird when we have rain in here and I´ve never been in that position. Thanks in advance. 

[Chris Woodcock]

You get hit by lightning not thunder. Carbon fibre is resistant by will still conduct but not as much as aluminium. In any case if you are that close to a bolt of lighting you would be fecked anyway.

[cameronlenart]

Brb changing my poles to aluminum...

[johnpaul215]

Both are a conductor, just don't mess with it. Your boom may be one of the tallest things around there, and remember that lightning has a tendency to hit something and then hop to something else. Even if it hits a light up on the stand, it can still jump to your pole.

I am a rower, and that is something we were always warned about. Sweep rowing oars (as opposed to sculling), where each person has one oar, can be 12 feet long and made of carbon fiber. Overhead power lines can be a safety concern. Same applies to a boom op going vertical for a break between takes, or of course in an lighting situation.

http://youtu.be/CUxQUrsiJJY

[CraigF]

given that lightning is rated in Mega Volts, you could have an all rubber pole and you would get the shock of your life.

 

if you hear thunder, pack it in and get inside ASAP

[Glen Trew]

Finally... A good reason to hang onto those old Sennheiser fiberglass poles!

[David Waelder]

Working outdoors in weather with thunder and lightening is potentially hazardous (obviously!).

 

There are published safety bulletins from Contract Services on hazardous conditions that spell out recommended procedures for film/video crews. The whole list is available here:

http://csatf.org/bulletintro.shtml

 

And the bulletin dealing specifically with weather issues is here:

http://csatf.org/pdf/38Inclement_or_Severe_Weather.pdf

 

They recommend (among other things) that a person be designated to monitor the situation and communicate to the crew whenever there is a recognizable hazard.

 

Regarding lightning, they also state:



When working in lightning prone areas, the use of a lightning detector/meter

is highly recommended. If a meter is not available, it is possible to estimate

the distance of lightning by the thunder. When lightning is seen, count the

seconds until thunder is heard and then divide the seconds counted by five to

obtain the approximate distance in miles.



30-30 rule: The first 30 means if you count to 30 seconds or less (from

lightning to thunder), the lightning is within 6 miles of your location and you

are in potential danger and should seek shelter. The second 30 means you

should wait 30 minutes from the last flash or thunder to establish an “all

clear.”



Seek shelter in a sturdy building, a hardtop automobile or truck with the windows rolled up. If such cover is not available seek shelter in wooded areas with thick small trees. Avoid isolated trees.

 

In short, you shouldn't be selecting your boom poles for minimum conductivity; you should be moving out of harm's way.

 

These safety bulletins are binding on the various members of the AMPTP but not binding on any independent productions. However, the CSATF (Contract Services) encourages anyone observing a hazardous situation anywhere to call their hotline. They say (I've never tested it) that they will contact independent producers and that they can be quite persuasive.

 

Hotline numbers are available in the "Safety for Sarah" smartphone app for iphone and android. Information about that app is available here:

http://pledgetosarah.org/

 

Navigate to:

http://pledgetosarah.org/app

 

David

[gavin]

Lightning can travel 20 miles sideways!

Be extremely careful. The boom is a big lighting conductor.

I have shut down 3 shoots recently due to lightning activity.

Obviously beware overhead power lines too, 

we had a boom op in perth a few years ago hit some line and arced, the boom expolded and he got severe burns,

bad enough he couldn't work on the road any more, he became a picture editor after a long rehab

[Glen Deakin]

Hello all, I was told by a fellow sound mixer that if I´m using a carbon fiber boom pole I´m more likely to get hit by a thunder and that aluminium boompoles are safer in that matter. My guess is that that is just when shooting outdoors right? What about indoors? I live in the middle of the desert so it is really weird when we have rain in here and I´ve never been in that position. Thanks in advance.

Try both. Let us know what happens.

[Eric Toline]

Speed of sound at sea level is 720mph or 12 miles a minute or 1 mile every 5 seconds. Lightening is a whole lot faster.

[Jim Gilchrist]

I have been replaced on a small job, loosing a client for refusing to boom with a thunderstorm approaching. Death just isn't that appealing to me.

+1 on all of the info from David posted above. Search the app store for your device of choice for "set safety." Local 600's safety app is similar and may be easier to read on smaller screens. Search "ICG Safety." Both are free as is the OSHA Heat Tool app for calculating the heat index, search "heat tool."

If there's no lightning detector on set, as might happen on a small industrial or doc job with no medic or genny operator, the Weatherbug phone app has Spark, which is linked to NOAA lightning strike mapping data. I use it a lot when out kayaking or camping and it's free and accurate. But the 30/30 rule is as important as figuring out when a storm is coming.

Best regards,

Jim