Category: Thermal Imaging

Prevent COVID-19 from entering your Building

Posted on by Prolux

Coronavirus or COVID-19 has become an international health crisis with the World Health Organisation declaring it a pandemic on 11th March 2020.

With over 200 countries affected, radical measures have been implemented both at Federal and State level in Australia to help slow and aid in the eradication of the virus.

With the viruses’ main path of transmission through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks to another, the social distancing rule of 1.5 metres is helping in the prevention of cross contamination. Hygiene however, has undoubtedly become a major priority, as like other viruses COVID-19 can persist on surfaces for several hours or several days, depending of the conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment) and by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth is what becomes an easy way for it to spread.

What can Building Managers do to prevent the spread COVID-19?

Prevention is always better than cure, but what can be done now to manage the spread? Stop anyone in their tracks from entering your building who has an elevated temperature? Exactly… This can be achieved through thermal imaging, more specifically by installing a Human Body Temperature Measurement Solution, at a designated entry point(s).

Prevention is the savior to cure, reduce the possibility at all costs.

How does the camera identify an infected individual?

Body temperature is considered to be in the normal range between 36-37 degrees. Anything at or above 38 degrees is classified as a fever.

The Dahua Thermal Body Camera is capable of measuring body temperature, by way of face recognition with a high degree of accuracy (±0.3 with blackbody) allowing for instant notification by triggering an alarm when somebody enters a building with an elevated temperature.

The camera is able to measure multiple people (3 people per second) up to a distance of 3 meters, allowing for fast, precise measurement. Furthermore, it’s contactless making it safe for everyone.

What does this mean for Facility Managers?

Having the ability to screen all employees, workers and members of the public entering your building(s) gives you piece of mind and control. The ability to provide contactless screening will allow for potential carriers of COVID-19 and other contagious viruses’ (e.g. the flu) to be identified before entering.

Positioning the camera at a designated entry point(s) within a commercial or industrial building will ensure all people entering the premises will be scanned.


How does the camera work?

The camera works by measuring body temperature with its dual lens camera, consisting of a normal camera module with an infrared LED and a thermal camera module, together in the one camera.

The measurement area is able to identify and focus on ‘faces’ ignoring hot objects like ‘a cup of coffee,’ unless held in front of a face at the point of measurement. It’s can also decipher headwear or headgear; detecting a person’s temperature even through a helmet.

 

 

What are the benefits of owning the camera?

The Dahua Thermal Camera can easily be installed and implemented to detect elevated body temperature in commercial, industrial and office suites and public gathering locations. It has already proven to significantly improve speed and accuracy and at the same time help reduce cross-infection via non-contact measurement for Building Managers. Measuring the temperature of 5,000 people for example would take over 4 hours using a forehead thermometer (at least 3 seconds per person), however, using Dahua Thermal Solution only takes 30 minutes with it’s capability of measuring 3 people per second.

Thermal Body Camera features:

  • Accurate temperature measurement; ±0.3℃
  • Safe, contactless screening
  • Face identification for rapid screening; detects temperature through headwear/helmet
  • Multi-person measurement; 3 people per second, max 30 people in sight
  • Visual abnormal alert to facilitate back-tracking.

 

Prolux understand the importance of being across all changes for our clients, awareness and safety are paramount. For advice and assessment on ways in which we can assist with your commercial and industrial electrical requirements call us on 1800 800 880.

Thermographic Scanning of Switchboards

Posted on by Prolux

Many Property Managers and Facility Managers understand the need for thermal imaging, but don’t truly understand what the resulting scans mean for the properties they manage.

Thermography enables us to skillfully see what cannot be seen by the naked eye. We can interpret infrared imaging to determine any areas of concern and inevitably prevent havoc. At Prolux Electrical Contractors, our electricians are trained and experienced in both qualitative and quantitative thermography, to test your switchboards for any electrical and mechanical concerns, essentially providing you piece of mind, with a detailed diagnosis of your building’s electrical health.

We can show you if anything is hotter, or colder, than it should be. We can then do something about it for you, before it becomes a very serious problem! Seeing is believing…”

What is Thermal Imaging?

Thermal Imaging is a process of viewing heat, generated from an electrical switchboard. The more power a device draws from a switchboard, or if there is a malfunctioning component in a switchboard, the more heat that is generated and will therefore be detected through a thermal image. Infrared cameras are used to capture the thermo graphic image. In the electrical industry it also call thermoscanning.


Thermal Imaging is a mandatory component of your building’s Preventative Maintenance

When any one of the following areas of concern is present in a switchboard, it can generate excess heat and stress on the board, and left undetected can cause a full or partial power outage to the building that can be very disruptive for your tenants:

• Loose terminals
• Undersized cables
• Faulty fuses or circuit breakers
• Incorrectly fitted components


How to read a Thermal Imaging Report

A switchboard’s temperature has to be matched against the ambient room’s temperature in order to be able to identify if and where there’s a potential hazard. If the switchboard’s under too much stress or it is too hot, then the internal elements may ignite, with the results being catastrophic. The darker the colour means the cooler the element or area is. The lighter the colour means the area is warmer and generally under more stress. As seen in the example shown above, ‘purple’ signals COOL and ‘yellow – white’ signals WARM – HOT, in respect to the ambient room temperature.

How much does Thermal Imaging cost?

For a 15 story building encompassing 16 switchboards (one public board per level plus one Main Switchboard), thermal imaging can cost between $1,800.00 and $2,000.00.


How often does a switchboard need a Thermal Imaging test?

Thermal imaging for all your building’s switchboards should be carried out every 12 months and more frequently if environmental conditions are influential. Many insurance companies are now making thermal imaging a condition of policy renewal.


Will there be disruption to my building’s power supply during a Thermal Imaging test?

Thermography is a non-destructive defect testing technique, which means there’s no interference to your building’s power supply during a preventative maintenance check. Switchboard thermo scanning is undertaken while the equipment is on-line and running at normal capacity. By monitoring temperatures and thermal patterns this allows for an early detection of possible faults, indicated by a rise in temperature.


Book a thermal imaging test for your building’s switchboard with Prolux Electrical Contractors today.

 

Call Prolux Electrical Contractors on 1800 800 880.
The Melbourne electrician for all of your switchboard repairs, switchboard upgrades and thermal imaging tests.

3/52 Corporate Boulevard, Bayswater VIC 3153