Our Commitment to Safety: Working on Energised Systems
A fundamental requirement for an effective thermographic survey is that the equipment must be running. To identify thermal anomalies, we need to see your systems operating under their normal load conditions.
For this reason, our policy is simple and non-negotiable: All electrical and mechanical equipment we survey is treated as live and energised.
Our entire procedure is built around this principle, ensuring the safety of your staff, our technicians, and your equipment at all times. We do not require you to shut down your operations; instead, we bring a robust, standards-compliant safety methodology to our work.
Our Safety Framework: A Proactive, Risk-Based Approach
With your approval, we conduct our work under a strict electrical live working procedure that fully complies with Australian Standard AS/NZS 4836:2001 – "Safe Working on Low Voltage Installations."
Our risk assessment is comprehensive and extends beyond just electrical hazards. For mechanical equipment, we also account for non-electrical sources of energy, such as stored hydraulic or pneumatic pressure and unexpected movement from components like counterweights.
What "Live Work" Means for Us: A Limited, Diagnostic Scope
It is critical to understand what our procedure does—and does not—involve. We do not perform any electrical work, operate your equipment, or alter your systems in any way.
The "work" we perform on or near energised conductors is strictly limited to the following two diagnostic actions, as defined by section 3.2.5 of the Standard:
Identifying Faults with Insulated Tools: Our thermographer may use a compliant, insulated screwdriver purely as a pointer. This allows us to safely and precisely indicate the exact location of a thermal anomaly within a group of wires or terminals on the thermal camera screen.
Verifying Terminal Torque: If an anomaly is detected on an easily and safely accessible terminal, our technician may use a calibrated torque screwdriver to check its tightness. This often allows minor issues to be clarified or even resolved on the spot, saving you the time and expense of a follow-up visit for hundreds of minor terminations.
This disciplined, safety-first approach allows us to gather the critical data you need without compromising safety or requiring costly interruptions to your business.