A Comprehensive Review of Reliability Engineering Approaches for Inspection, Maintenance, and Lifecycle Management of Industrial Lightning Protection Systems

Industrial Lightning Protection Systems are important safety assets used to protect industrial structures, equipment, personnel, and production processes from lightning-related hazards. Their long-term effectiveness depends on systematic inspection, maintenance planning, reliability assessment, and lifecycle management of critical components. In industrial environments, LPS components are exposed to corrosion, vibration, thermal stress, loose connections, mechanical damage, and material aging. Conventional time-based inspection may not adequately detect hidden deterioration in down conductors, connectors, clamps, and grounding electrodes. Therefore, reliability-based approaches such as Reliability-Centered Maintenance, Risk-Based Inspection, Condition-Based Maintenance, FMEA, and lifecycle cost analysis are necessary for effective maintenance optimization. This review focuses on reliability engineering methods for improving inspection effectiveness, component availability, safety, and service life of industrial LPS. The study highlights the need for optimized inspection intervals, condition monitoring, and risk-based maintenance prioritization. The review concludes that reliability-based maintenance can reduce failures, downtime, and maintenance cost while improving industrial safety and asset performance.

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