HEALTH & SAFETY THE HEAT IS ON
EMS
How infrared technology brings safety in multiple applications
Infrared temperature guns have become a commonplace safety precaution , with 37 degrees Celsius acting as the entrance pass to many offices , shops and airports . This is just one application where infrared technology provides important safety information . Here Dave Walsha , commercial development officer at precision drive system supplier , Electromechanical Systems ( EMS ), looks at the applications of infrared technology and the motor technologies advancing them .
Temperature guns are one method used to detect if someone is exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms . The guns quickly determine if someone has an elevated skin temperature and should therefore isolate and receive a test . This promptly separates the potentially infected individual from others . However , fever temperature screening is not the only application where infrared technology helps bring safety .
Infrared detection systems , such as temperature guns , use sensors to pick up radiation in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum . Although infrared cameras use this same technology , they are much more complex . They convert the thermal energy being detected into an electrical signal , which can then be processed to produce an image . The image varies in colour , such as red for hot and blue for cold , depending on the amount of infrared radiation being detected .
FROM LOST TO FOUND
Infrared cameras provide critical information in the emergency services . Someone is reported missing in the UK every 90 seconds , so search and rescue services must act quickly to ensure the highest possibility of finding the missing person safe and well .
However , manually searching dense areas with little visibility , such as forests and rural areas , can be labour intensive . When time is precious , infrared devices can help searchers quickly scan over large areas .
Search and rescue service teams typically comprise of searchers on the ground and in the skies . From an arial view , searchers in helicopters can use an attached infrared camera to quickly scan the large area .
A missing person will have a much stronger infrared signal than their cool surroundings , so will show up as an easily distinguishable colour on the screen . The coordinates of the missing person can then be reported to the ground team , who can quickly access the area on foot .
The ability to identify the location of an individual using infrared technology is not only used for missing and endangered people . Infrared cameras are also used in the police force to track down suspects . If suspects of a crime recognise that the police are tracking them , they may hide in unusual places , such as on a roof or inside a container . Infrared cameras , along with sniffer dogs , can be used to track down suspects before they escape .
58 PECM Issue 48