Insurer uses camera to help clients avoid claims

The engineering arm of Royal and SunAlliance has invested in a Flir Systems Thermacam to help clients minimise their cost of operation by detecting faults before they develop into insurance claims

The efficient management and control of risk involved in any commercial operation is the way insurance companies like to operate today.

The days of rigid and prescriptive statutes are gone, giving way to a much more sophisticated approach.

Companies are now encouraged to manage consequential loss through predictive maintenance and condition monitoring programmes, using non-invasive techniques such as thermography.

One notable exponent of this method is Royal and SunAlliance.

Its engineering arm has invested in a Flir Systems Thermacam to help clients minimise their cost of operation by detecting faults before they develop into insurance claims.

And the camera's accomplishments already include prevention of fire, plant-shutdown and substantial stock loss.

Royal and SunAlliance is now acknowledged as the UK's leader in the management of insurance risk.

The consultancy part of its business is a fee earning profit centre whose services are in considerable demand.

Its Flir Systems Thermacam is used primarily to survey electrical systems but examples of the problems it has averted confirm the wide range of structures, components and processes to which it is applied.

One of the camera's first discoveries was indeed incorrect electrical specification on an air conditioning unit that would have resulted in a fire if left unrectified.

Another more recent survey in a linen weaving mill revealed fuses on a distribution board running at 110degC instead of their normal 30degC.

The factor that made this situation so serious was the flammability of airborne lint and its potential to cause a flash fire.

Such events would certainly have been the subject of a substantial building and contents claim but this is only one type of loss Royal and SunAlliance seeks to avoid.

Business interruption and deterioration in stock carry the potential of huge losses for the insurer.

"Cold stores are a particular focus for our attention," confirms Loss Control Manager, Eddie Rowland.

"During a recent and typical survey, water ingress in lagging was clearly visible through the Thermacam.

This would have eventually caused a breakdown of insulation properties, resulting in inefficient cooling, greater fuel usage and ultimately, failure." In this case, a considerable quantity of frozen food would have been lost and its cost presented as a claim.

During the same survey, a bearing was seen to be overheating on a nearby compressor.

Again, if left, an unscheduled plant shutdown would have resulted and the consequential cost of production loss and deterioration of stock passed on to Royal and SunAlliance.

"We use the Thermacam because it is fast, remote and does not require production to be interrupted.

Also, in its standard temperature range, the camera is able to cover the wide range of applications we need to address," Eddie Rowland continued.

Portability, ease of operation and, thanks to uncooled technology, its availability for instant use, continue to be important features.

Quick and clear report generation is another important plus for Royal and SunAlliance.

"It is so easy to interpret the Thermacam images," adds Mr.Rowland.

This is important, as his company's reports have to be digested by managers with various levels of technical understanding.

For maximum clarity, digital photographs and video footage support the thermographic report.

Typically, Royal and SunAlliance engineers are continuing to find new applications for the Thermacam.

Recently it was used during a survey at a racing car production plant.

An exact temperature has to be reached in the forging of piston heads and the Thermacam was easily able to provide that assurance.

On another occasion, the Thermacam was used in the survey of a plant manufacturing polypropylene products.

In this instance it was able to determine which of the belt-driven production machines needed to be scheduled for belt-tightening.

"Our ThermaCAM allows us to look at processes as well as structures," concludes Eddie Rowland.

"It's a very versatile piece of equipment.".

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