American Training and Inspection has worked in the electrical safety industry for the past 35 years. We have had the opportunity to help in the safety aspect of the school systems in a large area of the United States. We would like to share some of these things with the infrared community.

A school system in a small rural area had contracted with us to do the infrared inspections on the schools in there entire district. For them it was a large undertaking and the expense seemed to be a large ticket item. This in the few days that followed proved to be a small expense when it came to the safety of the children. Our company sent it one thermographer for the eight building system with an estimated twelve days of on site work and imaging with the assistance of one maintenance worker from each building to help remove and reinstall panel covers. One of the buildings was constructed twenty six years ago and had all of the appropriate inspections both when the building was completed and on a yearly basis as part of the building Pm program (of which we were impressed). As the inspection moved at a brisk pace revealing a few problems, but nothing of great consequence.

On the second day of the inspection a disconnect was opened that had not been opened since the original construction. This disconnect was up hill of a 480 volt transformer feeding four sub panels that lead to class rooms. When the door was opened it was apparent that no fuses had been installed from the original construction, four pieces of number 10 wire were in place in lieu of the fuses. A short piece of wire such as this at 480 volts would carry enough current to start a sizeable fire or even create an electrical explosion. This anomaly was noticed and corrected before a life threatening disaster could occur.

After a few more days went buy and only small problems were found the main switchgear was opened in the middle school to find #2 aluminum wire that had been so hot that the insulation was melted off. When it went through a pipe to the fused disconnect the insulation was so brittle that it could not be moved without the wire shorting into the case of the solenoid bank it fed. This problem was more of a threat to the maintenance staff than to the students, due to it being situated in a boiler room that was not open to the children.

These are only two stories that happened in one of the school systems we have inspected. The dangers could go on as long as there are buildings.