Why Does Your Business Insurer Want a Thermal Imaging Electrical Report?

As you talk to business insurance providers about setting up a policy for your company, you may be asked to provide a thermal imaging report on your electrical systems. Why do insurance companies want this kind of report, and how can you get one?

What Are Thermal Imaging Electrical Reports?

A thermal imaging report gives information on electrical systems such as switchboards, panels and other components. The person making the report uses thermal imaging devices to scan inside your electrics to check how they are working. This is a non-invasive process that can be run while your system is being used.

Why Do Insurance Companies Want This Report?

Electrical fires can be devastating. If a fire starts in your system in an inaccessible location, such as behind a wall, then it can spread quickly and do a lot of damage especially if nobody is on site at the time.

Problem is that it's not always obvious when electrical systems have a fault that might lead to a fire in the future. You can't see all the relevant parts of your electrics, and you probably don't have the experience to know if there is a problem in the system.

So, insurance companies take a risk when they insure your business. Without a report, they don't really know what state your electrics are in. They don't know how likely it is that you might make a claim based on damage caused by a fault in your system that already exists.

If you can give them a positive scan report that your system is OK, however, then they have some guarantees that your system is up to scratch, compliant and safe. This mitigates the insurer's risk and makes insuring you a better prospect. The company knows that your electrical system is currently working well and doesn't pose a possible threat.

Where Can You Get a Thermal Imaging Report?

Like any electric work, a thermal imaging scan needs to be done by a trained professional with relevant electrical experience. The company that does the scan needs to employ people with experience of administering these scans and creating reports in a commercial environment. Ideally, they'll be used to creating reports for insurance use.

As a first step, contact your electrical contractor. Commercial electricians often offer thermal scanning to their business clients as well as general electrical services, so you should be able to arrange a scan quickly.

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