Beyond Certification:

The Author:  Engr. Adeyinka Akinade Osunbade

is a CTN-A member, thermography enthusiast, energy management consultant, and founder of Paces of Grace Enterprises, a leading electrical services company in Nigeria, West Africa. With over 15 years of experience across energy, telecommunications, and facilities management, he has worked extensively on oil rigs, commercial buildings, data centres, manufacturing plants, and educational institutions. Adeyinka is committed to advancing electrical safety, predictive maintenance, and energy efficiency. Helping organizations reduce fire risks, improve reliability, and achieve their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives.

 

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Beyond Certification:

Why Thermography closes the gap between laboratory ratings and in-service conditions by revealing hidden risks.

18 September 2025

 

Many thermograms tells a story with trained interpretation. Hidden in the reds, oranges, and yellows of an infrared image are clues, sometimes warnings, about:

• electrical safety,
  
• operational resilience, and
• energy efficiency.

Reputable manufacturers produce cables, breakers, switchgear and protective devices to rigorous, internationally recognized standards such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories), IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), and ISO (International Organization for Standardization). These standards, together with proper installation and quality workmanship, form the backbone of safe electrical systems. Engineers, contractors, and end-users trust proven products and brands with confidence.

Yet, experience shows that reliability and longevity are never absolute. Products perform well when used within their specified parameters, but in practice:

• operating environments change, 
• loads evolve, and 
• components age. 

That gap between laboratory-rated performance and in-service reality is where thermography earns its keep.

 

 

 

The Bridge Between Design and Reality

Thermographic inspection is a non-contact diagnostic that measures in-service operating temperature and makes invisible stress v

isible. It provides empirical validation of manufacturer ratings:

• confirming whether conductors run with in recommended limits, 
• whether breakers are thermally stressed, and
• whether derating or rerouting is required.

Thermography does not replace standards or quality products — it complements them by showing how those products behave in real-world conditions.

Field Realities: When Standards Meet Practice

Over time, I observed recurring patterns where thermography revealed risks that otherwise would have been missed:

•          Incremental overload: In a commercial building, 4 mm single-core cables feeding air-conditioning units were initially adequate. But as occupancy and cooling demand increased, circuits became dangerously overloaded. Thermographic inspection revealed sustained elevated temperatures and unequal heating across phases. Corrective action avoided cable failure and fire risk.

•          Corrosion and poor terminations: In many enclosures, neutral conductors and lugs exhibited abnormal heating caused by corrosion or poor connections, issues that remain invisible during routine visual inspections. While a thermogram cannot determine the exact cause of a hotspot, it highlights the anomaly and quantifies its severity. This allows maintenance teams to investigate further, prioritize repairs, and justify work orders with objective evidence.

•          Hidden interactions in heavy plant: On an offshore facility, thermal imaging detected abnormal heating in the exhaust section of an 8MW generator. This indicated early structural damage that could have escalated into catastrophic failure. Early detection saved the operator lengthy outages and major repair costs.

These examples highlight the crucial role of thermographers. Converting hidden risks into visible, actionable data.

Beyond Fire Prevention: The Wider Value of Thermography

While fire prevention is critical, thermography provides broader value:

•      Risk reduction: Faults are identified before they escalate into fires.

•      Energy optimization: Heat losses and load imbalances are visualized, guiding corrective actions that save energy and costs.

•      Maintenance prioritization: Subjective concerns become quantifiable evidence, enabling more accurate planning and budgeting.

•      Compliance assurance: In-service temperature readings and trend data support:

o    Corporate safety,

o    Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives, and

o    Asset management programs.

In this way, thermography is not just a safety tool but a business enabler.

The Return on Investment (ROI) of Thermal Imaging Surveys

One common question from facility managers is:

What is the return on investment?

In my experience, in most cases, even a single inspection identifies risks that offset the cost of the service many times over. Whether it prevents an electrical fire, reduces downtime, or validates safe operation, thermography delivers measurable value. Thermograms are not just images, they are proof that the right preventive actions have been taken.

Some organizations hesitate because of the perceived cost of high-resolution thermal imaging cameras and the training required for certification. For many, this can feel like an uphill task. This is why thermographic inspection as a service offers a cost-friendly alternative. It allows businesses to benefit from expert diagnostics without the capital expense of equipment and training.

From personal experience, I can also attest that even entry-level thermal imaging cameras deliver critical insights. For over five years, I effectively used the FLIR C3-X, a compact entry-level device. With it, I uncovered overloaded cables, loose connections, and potential fire hazards, surprising many clients who assumed only advanced models could deliver such results. While I now look forward to upgrading to a higher-resolution thermal imaging camera, the lesson is clear: thermography is about discipline and expertise, not just hardware.

Ultimately, the ROI of thermography is both financial and operational. It saves money, extends asset life, and most importantly, provides peace of mind.

A Call for Mindset Change

The greatest challenge is not technological. It is cultural. Many African industries still rely heavily on reactive maintenance, but resilience demands a cultural shift to predictive approaches. That requires:

• Engaging qualified thermographers who follow global best practices such as NFPA 70B, NFPA 70E, and ANSI/NETA MTS.
• Training engineers and technicians to understand and act on the findings of the thermographer.
• Recognizing that inspections are investments in resilience, not optional expenses.

Standards, certified products, and skilled installers remain essential. But they are not guarantees. Thermographic inspection is the bridge between quality and real-world operation. Confirming that rated equipment is functioning safely under today’s conditions and exposing the subtle failures that can lead to fires, energy loss, and downtime.

Conclusion

Behind many thermograms lies a story of prevention—fires avoided, reduced downtime, and energy conserved. Thermography has shown me that quality workmanship and certified products, while important, are never enough on their own. Electrical systems evolve under pressure from environment, demand, and time.

For Africa, where resilience and safety are strategic priorities, thermography is no longer optional. Certified and skilled thermographers are frontline defenders of safety, sustainability, and operational continuity.

The industrial components may be certified, the workmanship excellent, but thermography confirms whether your system is truly safe today. The heat tells the truth. 

We only need the courage to look.