Why should thermographic surveyors be certified when undertaking thermal imaging surveys on electrical equipment?
Although thermal images often appear to be self explanatory when presented in a thermographic report, correctly identifying defects/anomalies in the first place relies on two key factors:
- The thermographer’s understanding of the construction and operation of the electrical systems together with its possible failure modes.
- The thermographer’s ability to interpret what he/she is observing when using a thermal imaging camera such that the correct conclusion is drawn and presented within the report.
Without these two factors in place, there is very real risk that anomalies/defects are misunderstood and incorrectly reported. For instance reporting supposed defects which are in fact operating normally, or even worse missing/not identifying actual defects.
To prevent this risk, the use of a thermographer that is certified to ISO 18436 is vital. The certification scheme ensures that thermographers have been suitably trained, with their knowledge assessed and have accumulated the required amount experience in undertaking thermographic surveys within the electrical application of thermography.
Red Current follow a strict set of thermal imaging standards and only employ thermographers that are certified to ISO 18436, therefore you can be assured that the thermographer undertaking thermographic surveys in your facility will possess the two key factors discussed above.