Increasing employee safety in the workplace is imperative if any business wants to succeed during, and post Covid-19. Workplace safety measures in industrial as well as corporate enterprises can be elevated by making use of thermography. 

This technology has aroused the interest of business owners worldwide and in recent months, the sale of thermal imaging cameras has increased. Employers are searching for innovative ways to monitor higher-than-normal body temperatures of employees and clients entering their premises, as well as detecting building faults.

(Note that thermal imaging does not detect whether someone has the Coronavirus but rather it measures surface skin temperature.)

What are Thermal Imaging Cameras?

Thermal imaging cameras are non-contact devices that capture and create images using infrared technology. It translates thermal energy or heat, into a visible light display allowing you to see variations in temperature. When viewing through a thermal camera, one will notice warm objects stand out against cool backgrounds. Temperature differences are displayed as shades of grey or multiple colours.

Warmer temperatures will show as red, yellow or orange, whereas cooler temperatures will emit shades of black, grey or blue. Thermal imaging cameras were originally developed and used by the military for surveillance and detection. Today, they are widely used in a number of applications ranging from geological surveys to detecting serious faults in equipment in various industries.

The Benefits Of Thermal Imaging For Business

Thermal imaging technology can bring a variety of benefits to workplaces and homes around the world. Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus or Covid19, workplace safety measures have increased. Thermal imaging can play a pivotal role in helping to detect elevated temperatures in employees or visitors before they enter an establishment. It’s an additional safety measure that can flatten the curve and reduce the spread of the virus as well as making your home or business safer.

In addition to disease control, they can also be used to detect gas leaks, air quality, hydraulic systems, ducts & pipes and many more. Here are some of the benefits and unique uses you can enjoy when you purchase a thermal imaging camera:

• They can measure body temperature in warm-blooded animals and human beings faster and more accurately than conventional methods - This is if they are installed and used in the correct manner.
• Detection of electrical faults and gas or air leaks. If your camera is specially calibrated, they can be used in industrial sites to detect gas leaks or electrical faults such as unbalanced phase supplies or overloaded circuits. They are suitable for uncovering those hidden issues in homes or buildings such as identifying blockages in ventilation systems and general preventative maintenance.
• Thermal scanners can be used by law-enforcement for surveillance such as tracking and apprehending fleeing criminals or investigating crime scenes.
• They can be used to check air quality.
• To check for hotspots or defects in solar panels.
• Fire fighters can use them to localise fire hotspots and see through smoke.
• Technicians can use them for power line maintenance.

*Please take note that before purchasing any of these thermal imaging devices, it would be advisable to discuss the limitations with your legal department. You would not want to infringe on the health information and privacy of individuals when using these cameras to test their body temperature.*

Security magazine has some “Practical Tips for Using Thermal Cameras and COVID-19”

Here at Sabre Security Mart, we have a selection of temperature detection devices available for the South African market. We stock the following at affordable prices:

ZN-T1-Body Temperature Detection IP camera

A body temperature measurement network camera integrated with on-board temperature-detection algorithm. It features dual lens (thermal + visible light) and up to 16 targets body detection. It has a response time of within 30 milliseconds when people pass through the detection area.

ZK-178K-Thermal Imager

This is an infrared thermal imager with visible light camera. It combines surface temperature measurement and real-time thermal image. It also supports real-time image transmission function. ZK-178K can measure multiple temperatures at once. Potential problems can be clearly displayed on the screen. It also has a wide range of measurement and photography functions to work in a variety of shooting environments. The built-in high brightness lamp allows you to easily find the tested object in a dark environment. This product adopts a new generation of sensor module to ensure excellent infrared resolution and multiple colour plate mode.

 ZN-TH01-Temperature Detection Camera

ZN-TH01 is a portable blackbody with temperature detection camera for accurate calibration. It has a temperature range of 40.0℃.

 ProFace-X (TD) - Thermal & Mask Detection

ProFace X [TD] is a high-speed biometric access control terminal with face, palm vein and mask recognition and body temperature measurement within the ProFace X Series product line. Designed to deal with all kinds of scenarios. Powered by the ZKTeco-customized CPU for running the intellectualized engineering facial recognition algorithm and the latest computer vision technology, the ProFace X [TD] supports both facial and palm verification with large capacity and rapid recognition speed, boosting the security performance in all aspects.