Of the most common types of inspections conducted by thermographers, electrical inspections are the most prevalent type and also the most inherently dangerous. With quality training, and through taking the proper procedures and precautions, the danger level can be reduced. If the thermographers are going to be in the area, a pre-meeting should be held to discuss the operations and what production should be included. Create a checklist to ensure proper procedures and make sure every aspect is covered.
Before the inspection is a great time to consult relevant documents such as NFPA 70E and 70B. NFPA 70B suggests that equipment have a minimum load of 40% for inspection purposes. If the load can be raised during the inspection, make arrangements to do so. Higher current/load may allow the thermographer to find problems in their infancy. Make sure to complete any site-specific education through the safety director. On some occasions, this education can be provided by video and email.
If there have been previous inspections of the equipment or facility that you’re inspecting, use these to your advantage. Review the data from the last survey and use prior reports as a reference to compare to current conditions. Take a good look at the images from previous reports to get an idea of the conditions that you’ll be working in and what, if any, optional lenses you may need. Review the camera settings that were used previously to gain knowledge about the types of materials and environmental conditions you may encounter. It’s very helpful to know about dusty, dirty environments beforehand so you can take the proper precautions such as covering your camera with a thin-film plastic bag to protect it from dirt and dust. It’s always a good idea to remind your escort to bring a rag or cloth to wipe off the top of doors and panels before opening them. This will help to keep debris from coming into contact with energized equipment.
If possible, confer with the thermographer who provided previous reports and speak with the maintenance supervisor to find out if repairs have been made to fix previously found anomalies. If repairs have been made, try to get feedback from the personnel who actually made the repairs. You may want to ask questions such as: “what did you see when you fixed the problem?” and “were parts replaced or serviced?” “Was the root cause determined?” Is there similar equipment that may have the same problem?” If parts were replaced, you may want to inquire about visually inspecting the old part if it’s still available. It’s also a wise idea to find out if you will have the same escort or qualified assistant as the previous thermographer.
Bring a printed or electronic copy of the report from the last survey that can be viewed in the field. This will help you identify equipment that experienced problems previously and will help you determine if repairs that were made have actually fixed the problems that were found. The printed copy will illustrate the state of anomalies during prior inspections and give you a reference to compare to. Almost half of the repairs made to electrical equipment do not fix the problem the first time.
One of the most important pre-inspection precautions is to find out what level of PPE is required for this particular inspection. Then, inspect your PPE to make sure that it’s in good working order. Check your hardhat and face shield; are they out of date or scratched or cracked? Do you have proper ear protection? Make sure you have properly rated and cleaned FR clothing for the job. Do not wear synthetic under clothing. In the event of an arc flash, synthetic clothing will melt into your skin. If you wear steel-toed boots, ensure that the steel toe caps are completely covered by the leather outer layer.
It is good practice to conduct a pre-inspection hazard analysis with the safety director, maintenance supervisor, escort, and possibly personnel from production. This ensures everyone involved has a full understanding of what is being inspected and what hazards may be present. It also ensures that the escort or qualified assistant fully understands their duties and what is expected of them. Discuss the process of how panel doors will be opened and closed. Production personnel can provide useful information as to what will, and will not, be in operation the day of the inspection and under what loads the equipment will be operating. This is an opportune time to find out if the equipment that was not running during the last inspection may be running this time. This may also be the appropriate time to complete an Energized Electrical Work Permit and obtain the appropriate signatures.
Another good pre-inspection practice is to conduct a preliminary inspection of panels, doors, and enclosures with IR and possibly ultrasound before opening them. This inspection doesn’t take long to complete, and it can alert you to possible problems and risks before you open a panel or door. For example, when conducting this pre-inspection, you notice a panel or door that appears warmer than the surrounding panels, you can inform your escort to take extra care when opening as there may be a problem within that increases the risk of electrocution or arc flash.
During your inspection keep a list of equipment that is locked out, inaccessible, offline, in standby, inadequate PPE, a safety concern, or carrying no load. Write down anything you can’t inspect for any reason. Take notes and, if possible, digital images of equipment that you can’t inspect due to being locked out or shut down. This will speed up your inspection time and is a more accurate method than constantly writing down panel information all day. Use prior reports to see if the equipment that was locked out or shut down before can be inspected now.
By conducting a comprehensive and thorough pre-inspection checklist you can ensure that you’ve covered all the bases when it comes to safety. This will make your inspection easier, and more importantly, safer. Do this, and you can spend more time concentrating on inspection procedures and obtaining reliable, quality data, secure in the knowledge that you’ve covered all the bases when it comes to safety.