I have no idea what they are called, but I have them, and I'm 41. I've never had a problem with mine.

lighting strikes this statue all the time. In fact, there are scores of lightning rods mounted along the head and arms.

Here's a link to a close-up photograph of the arms, showing a base jumper contemplating jumping from the statue.

http://cellar.org/showpost.php?p=260589&postcount=1904