IEC 62305 Compliance: A Practical Checklist
Twelve checks every facility owner should run before commissioning a lightning protection system.
IEC 62305 is comprehensive, and that thoroughness can be intimidating at handover. The standard breaks lightning protection into risk assessment, physical protection, equipotential bonding and surge protection — and a system is only as strong as its weakest link across all four.
Before commissioning, confirm the risk assessment still matches the building as built. Changes during construction — a new rooftop plant, a relocated antenna, an extended structure — can shift the protection level required and invalidate the original calculation.
Walk the air-termination and down-conductor network physically. Verify spacing, fixings and the absence of sharp bends that increase impedance. Measure earth-termination resistance and record it against the design target, and check that every down conductor reaches a tested electrode.
Do not stop at the structure. Equipotential bonding of incoming services and correctly coordinated surge protective devices are what keep transients out of sensitive electronics. A protected roof with unbonded services simply moves the damage indoors. Document each of these checks so the owner has a defensible compliance record.