BUILDING ASSESSMENT GROUP, INC.
Specializing in Professional Services for Analysis, Code Compliance, Surveys and Building Assessments
Throughout the State of Georgia
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BUILDING ASSESSMENT GROUP, INC. Specializing in Professional Services for Analysis, Code Compliance, Surveys and Building Assessments Throughout the State of Georgia
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CNA INFRARED TESTING SAVES MILLIONS FOR POLICYHOLDERS
CNA Risk Control Property recommends Infrared (IR) testing to its policyholders. This important safety measure has prevented many potential disasters, lost productivity, and has saved millions of dollars. IR testing is a preventative maintenance tool that identifies a potential fault in an electrical system - a "hot spot." These hot spots are typically naked to the human eye alone. By using an IR camera, a wired area that is hotter than it should be is detected -- hence the name "hot spot." Left unnoticed, hot spots can burn a business to the ground -- its building, contents, plans, and competitive edge in the marketplace. In fact, many businesses never recover from a major fire and the loss of customers, equipment, revenue stream, and employees. Industry statistics indicate that over 30% of all fire losses are caused by electrical ignition. Loss statistics also show that electrical failures account for more industrial dollar losses than any other peril. It has been reported that circuit breakers that are not routinely tested have a 50% failure rate. IR Testing Prevents Losses - IR testing of electrical equipment is the best way to detect overloads, poor connections, faulty contact, and other deficiencies -- any of which could ignite a fire. IR testing can also detect energy leaks from insufficient insulation for boilers and other heating equipment -- leaks that when fixed can deliver savings to a policyholder's bottom line. Statistics indicate that for every dollar spent on IR testing, $14 dollars are saved. Based on our Best Practices guidelines, CNA Risk Control Property recommends IR testing to all policyholders if they have not had it done previously or if additions or renovations have been made to a property. CNA Risk Control recommends to manufacturing customers that the testing be done every five years, and for non-manufacturing customers every 15 years. Depending on the size of the business, IR testing can cost a policyholder only $500 or more. "Policyholders rarely complain about the cost of the testing once they realize the implications," says Patricia Shaw, Director, CNA Risk Control Property. "When a hot spot is found and corrected, the cost of the testing seems miniscule." IR Testing Delivers Results - From Chicago to Texas and from Kansas City to Ohio CNA policyholders have responded to recommendations for IR testing -- testing that delivers important results. Based on the problems found and the values involved, the testing proved itself over and over again. Property valued from $500,000 to over $10,000,000 was at risk and could have been lost. For example, in Florida a CNA policyholder with $550,000 in property contents paid only $900 for IR Testing. The survey revealed several hot spots with the equipment and wiring, which were corrected. IR Testing Pays Off - When you add up the cost of the testing versus the potential loss to CNA policyholders, IR testing is an excellent Best Practices to follow. Patricia Shaw and Frank Keisler, Senior Vice President Risk Control, estimate the total amount of insured property positively affected by this great preventative maintenance tool at almost $45M! That's dollars and cents directly affecting everyone's bottom line - yours, your CNA policyholder clients, and CNA. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CNA is a service mark owned by the CNA Financial Corporation and registered with the United States Patent and trademark Office. The information and suggestions presented in this document have been developed from sources believed to be reliable. However, CNA accepts no legal responsibility for the correctness or completeness of this material or its application to specific factual situations. This document is for illustrative purposes only and is not a contract. Only the policy can provide actual terms, coverages, amounts, conditions and exclusions. Copyright 2003 Continental Casualty Company. All rights reserved.
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