Infrared Electrical Inspection: A Complete Guide for Professionals

Inspections are essential for keeping your plant running and for complying with NFPA standards. Done right, they keep electrical systems running safely and efficiently. Done wrong—or worse, skipped—they lead to downtime, failures, and safety risks no one wants to deal with.

But how you inspect matters.

For decades, inspections meant opening panels, exposing workers to live electrical components, and suiting up in bulky PPE. It was slow, dangerous, and expensive. That’s the reality of inspecting without infrared inspection window—a process that puts personnel at risk and disrupts operations.

Then there’s the alternative: inspecting with infrared windows. No panel removal. No exposure. No unnecessary PPE. Just fast, safe, and efficient inspections that keep everything running smoothly.

So, what’s the real difference between the two? Let’s break it down—because once you see the comparison, it’s clear why infrared windows are a necessity, not a luxury.

The Hard Truth About Infrared Inspections Without Windows

Infrared inspection is a crucial part of electrical maintenance, helping facilities catch overheating components and prevent failures before they cause costly downtime. But the method used to conduct these inspections makes all the difference. Doing it the old-school way—without infrared windows—is slow, dangerous, and expensive. It requires opening electrical enclosures, putting workers at risk, increasing costs, and reducing operational efficiency. Here’s a detailed look at why traditional infrared inspections are problematic.

You Have to Open Electrical Enclosures

Thermal imaging cameras can’t see through solid metal enclosures, so to get an accurate temperature reading, workers have to physically open the panels. This process exposes live electrical components, creating immediate safety risks. It also complicates scheduling, as inspections must be carefully planned to minimize disruption.

For facilities with dozens or even hundreds of electrical panels, this adds a huge burden to the maintenance team. The process is labor-intensive, requires adherence to strict safety regulations, and introduces inefficiencies that make it difficult to conduct inspections as frequently as needed.

Arc Flash and Electrocution Risk

Opening a panel means direct exposure to live electrical components, significantly increasing electrical safety hazards and the chances of an arc flash incident. Arc flashes release extreme heat and energy in milliseconds, reaching temperatures over 35,000°F—hotter than the surface of the sun. These events can cause severe burns, permanent injury, or even death.

Then there’s the risk of electrocution. Even momentary contact with live parts can result in serious injury or fatalities. These dangers make traditional infrared inspections a high-risk activity, requiring extensive safety measures to protect workers.

Full PPE is Mandatory—And It’s a Burden

Because of the dangers involved, electricians must wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) while conducting inspections. This includes:

• • Arc flash suits, often rated for extreme thermal exposure

• • Heavy insulated gloves that reduce dexterity

• • Face shields or full arc-rated hoods

• • Fire-resistant clothing to minimize burn injuries

While PPE is necessary, it also slows down the inspection process. Workers must gear up before each panel is opened, and wearing bulky suits in hot environments can lead to discomfort and fatigue. Additionally, handling an infrared camera while wearing thick gloves makes it difficult to adjust settings and focus accurately, increasing the risk of inconsistent readings.

You Need Two Electricians for Every Inspection

A proper infrared inspection without windows requires at least two electricians—one to remove the panel cover and another to operate the infrared camera. This doubles labor costs and means that more personnel are exposed to electrical hazards.

The repeated physical act of removing and reinstalling panel covers also increases strain on workers, leading to fatigue and a higher risk of injury. In some cases, panels are positioned in difficult-to-access areas, making the process even more challenging.

Inspections Take Too Long

The process for inspecting a single panel without infrared windows is lengthy. It typically involves:

1. • Shutting down equipment (if required by safety policies).

• • Conducting a safety briefing before starting work.

• • Donning full PPE gear.

• • Removing the panel cover using insulated tools.

• • Performing the infrared scan while ensuring safety compliance.

• • Reinstalling and securing the panel cover.

• • Documenting the findings and ensuring compliance with safety standards.

Each inspection can take roughly one hour per panel. In a facility with hundreds of panels, this translates to days or even weeks of work. Over time, these inefficiencies compound, leading to significant operational disruptions and increased costs.

Frequent Equipment Downtime and Operational Disruptions

Since opening electrical enclosures presents a safety hazard, many facilities enforce strict lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures. This means equipment must be shut down before inspections can be performed, resulting in costly downtime.

For industries that rely on continuous operation—such as manufacturing, power generation, or data centers—downtime is a major concern. A single hour of lost production can result in thousands (or even millions) of dollars in lost revenue. Even in cases where inspections can be done on live equipment, the process is still disruptive, requiring careful scheduling to minimize impact.

Inconsistent Data and Accuracy Issues

Performing infrared inspections without windows introduces variables that make data collection inconsistent:

• • Varying Angles: Inspectors must position the camera differently each time, making it difficult to compare readings.

• • Changing Distances: Differences in distance from the target affect temperature measurements, reducing reliability.

• • Environmental Factors: Opening enclosures alters the internal environment, leading to airflow changes that can affect thermal readings.

These inconsistencies make it harder to track long-term trends, reducing the effectiveness of a predictive maintenance program. If an inspection one month is performed at a slightly different angle than the next, critical issues could be overlooked.

High Costs Add Up Quickly

Traditional infrared inspections come with a hefty price tag. The costs include:

• • Labor Costs: Two electricians per inspection, plus additional admin costs for compliance and reporting.

• • PPE Expenses: Arc flash suits, gloves, and other protective gear, which require maintenance and replacement.

• • Training Costs: Workers must complete ongoing training and certification to comply with safety regulations.

• • Downtime-Related Losses: Lost revenue from equipment shutdowns during inspections.

When factoring in all these expenses, traditional infrared inspections without windows become a costly and inefficient approach.

Increased Liability and Compliance Risks

Regulatory bodies such as OSHA and NFPA enforce strict guidelines for electrical safety. When inspections require opening panels, companies take on greater liability. The potential consequences include:

• • Higher risk of workplace injuries leading to expensive workers’ compensation claims.

• • Possible OSHA fines and citations for safety violations.

• • Legal action from injured personnel.

• • Increased insurance premiums due to a higher risk profile.

An arc flash or electrocution incident doesn’t just impact the worker involved—it creates a financial and legal crisis for the company. Businesses that continue to rely on outdated inspection methods expose themselves to unnecessary risks.

The Bottom Line

Infrared inspections without windows are inefficient, hazardous, and costly. They put workers at risk, require excessive PPE, disrupt operations, and drive up expenses. The traditional method of opening enclosures to perform inspections is outdated and impractical for modern industrial environments and power system safety standards.

The good news? There’s a better way. In the next section, we’ll explore how infrared windows eliminate these problems, making inspections safer, faster, and more reliable.

How to Perform an IR Inspection with Windows

Step 1: Get Ready

With IR windows, the inspection process is far simpler than traditional open-panel methods. There’s no need for arc flash suits, work permits, or shutdowns—just a quick and efficient setup. The inspector ensures their thermal camera is properly calibrated, checks the IR windows for any dust or obstructions, and confirms that the system is operating under a normal load. These simple steps eliminate unnecessary delays and keep the process efficient.

Step 2: Capture Thermal Images

Once the thermal imaging camera is aligned with the IR window, the inspector captures thermal images of critical components such as busbars, circuit breakers, and cable connections. Adjusting the focus and emissivity settings ensures clear, accurate readings. Because the panel remains closed, the images are taken from the same angle and distance each time, leading to more consistent and reliable data. This eliminates one of the biggest problems with open-panel inspections—variability in readings due to environmental factors or inconsistent positioning.

Step 3: Analyze the Data

The key to a successful IR inspection isn’t just capturing images but interpreting them correctly. Inspectors look for unusual temperature patterns, such as hot spots indicating loose connections or deteriorating components. Load imbalances and progressive temperature increases can also signal developing issues. With IR windows, these inspections can be conducted frequently and systematically, ensuring that any emerging problem is detected before it escalates into a failure. This method allows for quicker and more accurate electrical troubleshooting, helping maintenance teams identify and fix potential problems before they escalate.

Step 4: Take Action

If an inspection reveals a potential issue, maintenance teams can schedule targeted repairs before a failure occurs. If no issues are found, the asset remains in service with no downtime, no wasted labor, and no unnecessary disruptions. This approach helps businesses transition from reactive maintenance to a proactive, data-driven strategy.

Why IR Windows Make Inspections Faster, Safer, and Cheaper

IR windows eliminate one of the biggest risks in electrical maintenance: exposure to live components. With traditional inspections, opening a panel exposes workers to energized electrical systems, increasing the risk of arc flash and electrocution. With IR windows, inspections can be conducted safely with zero exposure to these hazards. The system remains enclosed and guarded, ensuring NFPA 70E compliance.

One of the most immediate benefits of IR windows is the reduction in PPE requirements. Traditional open-panel inspections require full arc-rated gear, including suits, gloves, and face shields. This equipment is expensive, cumbersome, and slows down the inspection process. With IR windows, inspectors can perform scans in standard work attire, eliminating the need for costly PPE and making inspections far more efficient.

The time savings are another game-changer. Open-panel inspections require shutting down equipment, removing and reinstalling panel covers, and waiting for permits and safety clearance. This can take up to an hour per panel. In contrast, an IR window inspection takes just 5-6 minutes. Multiply that across dozens—or even hundreds—of panels in a facility, and the total labor savings are enormous.

Beyond speed, IR windows provide more accurate and reliable data. Open-panel inspections introduce inconsistencies because inspectors must position their thermal cameras at different angles and distances for each scan. Environmental factors, such as airflow from cooling systems, can also affect readings. IR windows standardize inspections by ensuring that every scan is taken from the same position, leading to better predictive maintenance and fewer false alarms.

From a financial standpoint, IR windows quickly pay for themselves. Labor costs drop by up to 95%, PPE expenses are significantly reduced, and compliance with regulatory standards is streamlined. Facilities that implement IR windows see an immediate return on investment through lower maintenance costs, fewer shutdowns, and improved operational reliability.

IR Windows Enable Condition-Based Maintenance

Traditional maintenance strategies rely on either time-based inspections (checking equipment on a fixed schedule, whether needed or not) or reactive maintenance (fixing problems only after they cause failures). Neither approach is efficient. Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM)—made possible by IR windows—offers a better alternative.

CBM allows facilities to inspect assets as needed, based on real-world conditions rather than arbitrary schedules. Since IR windows enable frequent, quick, and safe inspections, maintenance teams can monitor temperature trends over time and respond only when there are signs of deterioration. This prevents unnecessary maintenance work while also reducing the risk of unexpected failures.

Frequent inspections with IR windows also help facilities establish a baseline of normal operating conditions. By tracking temperature trends over time, inspectors can detect subtle changes long before they become serious problems. This allows for early intervention, reducing costly emergency repairs and unplanned downtime.

For businesses looking to extend the lifespan of their electrical assets, CBM is the key. IR windows make this strategy not only feasible but also cost-effective by reducing labor costs, eliminating safety hazards, and improving the quality of inspection data.

Best Practices for IR Window Inspections

To get the most out of IR windows, facilities should follow a few key best practices. First, investing in a high-quality thermal imaging camera is essential. The best results come from cameras with adjustable emissivity settings, high-resolution imaging, and a wide temperature range. Choosing the right camera ensures clear, accurate readings that allow for precise trend analysis.

Timing is also critical. IR inspections should be performed under normal operating load conditions to ensure that temperature readings accurately reflect real-world performance. Inspecting during low-load periods may result in misleading data, potentially causing issues to go undetected.

Keeping IR windows clean is another simple but important step. Dirt, dust, and moisture can obscure readings and affect accuracy. Regular cleaning and maintenance of IR windows ensure that inspections remain reliable and consistent over time.

Finally, proper documentation is key. Thermal imaging software should be used to store, compare, and analyze data across multiple inspections. This helps inspectors identify long-term trends and detect developing issues early. Well-documented inspections also make it easier to demonstrate compliance with NFPA 70E and OSHA regulations.

IR Windows Are the Future of Electrical Inspections

Facilities that still rely on open-panel infrared inspections are wasting time, money, and exposing personnel to unnecessary risks. IR windows offer a safer, faster, and more cost-effective alternative. By enabling closed-panel inspections, they eliminate arc flash exposure, reduce PPE requirements, cut inspection times, and improve data accuracy.

The benefits are clear. Companies that implement IR windows can transition from outdated maintenance practices to a modern, proactive approach. Instead of reacting to failures, they can prevent them entirely—lowering operational costs, improving asset reliability, and ensuring worker safety.

IR windows aren’t just an upgrade—they’re the new standard for electrical maintenance. Any facility serious about safety, efficiency, and cost reduction should be using them. The question isn’t whether to adopt IR windows—it’s how soon you can make the switch.