Fire is one calamity in urban spaces the magnitude of which cannot be known till the damage is done. With practically no awareness about the havoc fire can wreak, nor about the seemingly innocuous triggers to it, urban dwellers are facing the risk of a potential fire-mishap.
Just weeks past the ghastly fire accident at Manikonda near Hyderabad , it is the conscientious responsibility of every individual to get the electricity connections and loads checked from time to time. Most often, the residents of any complex, either residential or commercial, repose such faith in their builder, that they fail to check whether the electrical installations and wiring are capable of handling the loads effectively.
Further, many commercial complexes, hospitals, hotels and other such establishments never worry about the fact that their initial installations are gradually failing to match the increasing loads.
Potential fire mishap lurking in the electrical installations can be detected effortlessly with the use of Infrared Thermography, an expert claims.
A city based engineer and Director of the company CSR Impex Private Limited, C.Vidyasagar Reddy (Ph: 65212780, 9440066907) says he has been employing the technology for the past ten years to inspect the electrical panels of various establishments, especially software companies.
“Insufficiently rated systems used for electrical installations deteriorate over time due to increase in ambient temperature and overloading. Thermography inspection helps in monitoring the healthiness of the electrical systems of each and every building,” Mr. Reddy says.
Infrared Thermography means measuring the temperature at a particular point using Infrared technique. Temperature is an important parameter to know if the loads on any system are heavier than the allowable limits.
“Using the infrared equipment, we check the panels at the point of input, for loose connections, improper wiring and overloading. Whatever fault in the system can be known by inspecting the lugging at the end of the power cable,” says Mr. Reddy. A looming short circuit can be known beforehand by checking the heat from the panel, he says.
Infrared technology is based on the principle that all objects in the world emit various levels of radiation. When the hand-held device with a lens is focussed on a particular object, the embedded sensors would receive the temperature at that particular point, and the result will be flashed on the screen. If the temperature is beyond allowable limits, then it can be judged that something is wrong with the system, and measures taken.
Chemical plants, warehouses, software facilities, hospitals, plastic industries, hotels, and shopping malls are major risk areas for short circuits, which should be checked periodically for electrical faults.
However, there is little awareness about the same here in India, he says. No hospital in the city has come forward for the inspection, which costs merely about Rs.10,000 per visit. Any ordinary establishment requires just two visits in a whole year. The situation is getting better, as insurance companies of late are insisting upon inspection.
