A thermographic scan uses an infrared camera to see heat in electrical equipment while it runs. Loose connections, overloaded cables and failing breakers get hot long before they fail or ignite, and the camera shows that heat as a bright spot. Finding it early turns a potential fire into a planned repair.
Why does this matter in Bangladesh?
Because electricity is one of the biggest causes of fire here. Of the more than 26,000 fires the Fire Service recorded in 2024, roughly a third started with an electrical fault. Factories with heavy machinery loads, ageing distribution boards and cable extensions added over the years carry the highest risk.
What does a thermographic scan find?
| Finding | Typical cause |
|---|---|
| Hot connection on a breaker or busbar | Loose or corroded termination |
| One phase hotter than the others | Load imbalance |
| Hot cable along its length | Overload or undersized cable |
| Hot breaker body | Internal fault or end of life |
| Hot fuse holder | Poor contact or wrong rating |
Each finding is photographed in normal and infrared views, with the temperature and the location, and graded by urgency.
How is a scan done?
- Panels are scanned under normal load, ideally at peak production, because faults only show when current flows.
- Covers are opened safely by qualified staff wearing the right protective equipment.
- Every panel, from the sub-station and main distribution board (MDB) to the sub-distribution boards (SDBs), is checked.
- You receive a report listing each hot spot, its severity and the repair it needs.
No shutdown is needed for the scan itself.
How often should you scan?
Yearly is the common baseline, and more often for critical or heavily loaded equipment. NFPA 70B, the standard for electrical equipment maintenance, includes infrared thermography in its maintenance programme. Scan again after any repair, to confirm the fault is gone.
What other electrical tests go with it?
- Insulation resistance (IR) test: checks that cable insulation still isolates the conductors.
- Earth resistance test: checks that the earthing system can safely carry fault current.
- Panel inspection: tightness, labelling, protection ratings and cleanliness.
Together these give a full picture of electrical fire risk, and fire safety auditors increasingly ask to see them. See the garment factory audit checklist.
After the scan
The value is in the follow-up: tighten, replace or rebalance, then re-scan to prove the fix. Keep the reports; they are evidence of due diligence for auditors and insurers.
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