What is infrared thermography?

Infrared thermography is a non-contact diagnostic technique that measures and visualises temperature differences across the surface of an object. A thermal imaging camera captures infrared radiation and converts it into a thermogram used to identify hidden faults such as loose electrical terminations, phase imbalance, failing mechanical components, moisture ingress, and insulation breakdown.

Can the inspection be performed without any service interruptions?

Yes. Infrared thermographic inspections are carried out without service interruptions. Systems remain fully energised and operating under normal load during the survey, ensuring thermal signatures reflect true operating conditions.

What kind of report can I expect after the inspection?

You receive a professionally structured, insurance-compliant report including an executive summary, annotated thermal and visual image pairs, delta-T values, P1-P4 severity classification for each finding, and prioritised corrective actions. Reports are issued within 24 hours of survey.

Why do insurance companies ask for an infrared inspection?

Insurers require thermographic inspections because electrical faults are a leading cause of industrial fires. Thermal imaging detects overheating breakers, loose terminations, and deteriorated switchgear before they cause fires. Reports provide documented, timestamped evidence of system condition for underwriting and renewals.

Why does a new building still need an infrared survey?

Even in a new facility, thermography verifies installation quality, detects under-torqued lugs, incorrect crimping, and manufacturing variances that pass commissioning but fail under load. It also establishes a baseline thermal signature for future trend analysis.

NFPA 70B 2023 and Infrared Inspection — What It Means in South Africa

Guidance October 2026 • 6 min read • By Enisave Solutions

Technician marking torque witness stripes on circuit breaker terminals in a switchgear cabinet

What Changed in the 2023 Edition

NFPA 70B is the United States consensus document for electrical equipment maintenance. Before the 2023 edition it was a recommended practice: it advised infrared scanning, typically annually, on a defined list of equipment such as outdoor substations, switchgear assemblies, stationary batteries, motor control equipment, busway and UPS systems. The 2023 edition converted it into a standard, with mandatory language in place of advisory language, and widened the scope of infrared inspection from that equipment list to all electrical equipment.

For anyone who has followed insurer requirements in South Africa, the direction will be familiar. What the 2023 edition did was formalise, in an internationally referenced document, what insurers and reliability engineers had treated as good practice for years.

12 months

maximum infrared inspection interval for all electrical equipment under the 2023 edition

6 months

interval for equipment in the poorest physical-condition category (Condition 3)

§ 7.4

the infrared thermography section: ΔT measurement and documentation requirements

What the Thermography Section Asks For

Section 7.4 sets out how an infrared programme must be run, not only how often. As described by FLIR and the Infrared Training Center, the main points are:

Two comparisons, not one — ΔT must be measured between similar electrical components under similar loading, and between the component and ambient air temperature. A single absolute temperature is not a finding.
Line of sight — where covers are fitted they should be removed so the camera and the thermographer can see the equipment being scanned. This is why live panel scanning is normally done with covers off, under the site’s electrical safety controls, or through infrared windows where they are installed.
Documentation — temperature differences between the area of concern and the reference area must be documented. A thermal image without recorded reference values does not meet this.
Qualified personnel — inspections must be documented, assigned and performed by qualified personnel. Camera ownership alone is not qualification.

Load at the time of scanning

NETA maintenance testing guidance is commonly cited for scanning at a minimum of 40% of rated load, or at the highest normal load available, with extra care where lightly loaded equipment is likely to carry more current later. A thermal signature recorded at low load understates the fault. Load at the time of survey should always be recorded alongside the ΔT values.

Does NFPA 70B Apply in South Africa?

Directly, no. NFPA 70B is an American standard and is not South African law. The installation standard that governs South African premises is SANS 10142-1, and a Certificate of Compliance confirms an installation met it at the time of issue. It is not a maintenance regime.

NFPA 70B is nevertheless relevant here for three practical reasons:

It is the most detailed published benchmark for what a defensible electrical maintenance programme, including thermography, should contain.
Multinational owners and international insurers frequently write it into their site standards and risk-engineering requirements.
It sets the expectation of what documented, qualified, load-conditioned infrared inspection looks like, which is the same evidential standard a South African insurer applies when it reviews a survey report after a loss.

What binds you in South Africa is your policy wording and any contractual site standard. Check what your policy actually requires; this article does not substitute for it.

What This Means for Your Survey Programme

Annual is the floor, not the ceiling. Equipment that has previous findings, visible deterioration or high consequence of failure justifies a shorter interval. Under the 2023 edition, equipment in poor physical condition moves to six-monthly.
Scope should be all energised equipment, not only the main switchroom. Distribution boards, MCCs, UPS and battery systems, and PFC banks belong in the same programme.
Check that every finding records both references — ΔT against a similar component and against ambient — together with the load at the time.
Treat the report as a maintenance record. Close out each finding with date, action taken, and a post-repair re-scan. An unactioned serious finding is a liability, not a compliance document.
Keep surveys comparable year to year. The first survey is a baseline. Trending value starts with the second and third, provided scope, camera settings and load conditions are consistent.

A Note on Qualification

“Qualified” is not defined by owning a camera or completing a short product course. Insurers and auditors increasingly ask who performed the scan, at what certification level, and whether the camera and settings were appropriate for the equipment. Keep the thermographer’s certification details with the report.

Benchmark Your Programme Against NFPA 70B

Enisave Solutions can review your current survey scope, interval and reporting against the 2023 edition and your insurer’s conditions.

Request a Survey Quote

Sources

FLIR — Reviewing the Specific Thermography Regulations within NFPA 70B 2023 (April 2023)
FLIR / Infrared Training Center — NFPA 70B 2023: New Guidelines for Electric Inspections
Fluke — Understanding NFPA 70B: How Thermal Imaging Supports Electrical Equipment Maintenance

This article summarises published commentary on the standard and is not a reproduction of it. Refer to the current edition of NFPA 70B and to your policy wording for the authoritative requirements.

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