We currently use afew different contractors across our business for Thermographic Surveys, typically reporting on electrical items such as switchboards and motor terminations. At this stage we would like to develop a simple set of standards/procedures for the contractors to follow, or can anyone recommend a suitable Standards Document, i did a search which came up with ASTM E1934-99a(2005) : Standard Guide for Examining Electrical and Mechanical Equipment with Infrared Thermography. any comment would be appreciated.

I have the that electrical standard and it may be difficult to use as a specification so to speak for contractors. Your best bet which is just my opinion is to use the standard and your past experience with all of the contractors to develop your own specification as a guide for the electrical mechanical inspection as to how you want the inspection done and what information you want from the inspection. It will be a chore the first time around but will be a boiler plate for your company to use and amend as needed. Architects will use what is called master format to write a construction specification document. You can purchase one on line or contact your local Architect for a sample copy of one if he or she will give you an old one. The format is simple and you just apply the verbage according to what you want to achieve from your thermographers inspection. For example you can list the qualifications of the thermographer, the minimum type of equipment needed, specify pulling breaker panel covers or not, amperage readings or not you can include safety requirments etc. Hope this helps. The best part about this is all of your thermographers will be quoting and expected to perform the same task therefore bidding apples for apples.

Craig

I have worked with a number of insurance companies to write specifications for them. You need to include a number of specific sections.

1 Qualification of thermographers
2 Minimum level of equipment
3 Reports (what they should contain)
4 Attendance of thermographer and safety issues
5 Items to be surveyed
6 What the thermographer is not required to do
7 The survey conditions (Load etc)

These sections will probibly be slightly different for you than an insurance company as you are looking at it from a different perspective. But the intended result is the same, reliablity and repeatability. The only way you can be sure of this is to have a good well written specification.

If you like I can write a specification for you, but there is a bit of work involved and I would have to charge.

bob@thermalvision.ie