Continuous visibility and early heat detection for safer battery operations

When a warehouse experiences a thermal incident, the aftermath often reveals how fragile safety systems can be. For one facility that recharges VRLA batteries, a near miss led to an urgent search for a better way to prevent heat-related risks before they shut operations down again.

The battery recharging area had to be closed after an overheating event prompted health and safety officials to intervene. The incident halted all charging activities and raised immediate concerns about how to restart safely. The team needed a solution that could detect temperature changes early enough to stop problems from developing into costly downtime or fire hazards.

VRLA battery charging areas are inherently risky environments. As batteries recharge, internal chemical reactions can cause heat buildup, particularly if a cell becomes damaged or overcharged. Temperatures can climb quickly and silently, often without visible smoke or flame.

Traditional spot sensors or smoke detectors are rarely enough in these situations. They react after the danger has already escalated. In this case, the facility’s battery zone covered roughly 4,000 square feet with a ceiling height near 40 feet. Monitoring that volume effectively required more than a few temperature sensors.

The team needed a continuous, automated way to watch over the space at all hours, including overnight periods when no staff were present.

Thermal imaging provided the answer. By continuously monitoring surface temperatures across the entire battery charging area, a thermal system can detect even minor heat fluctuations that signal early failure. Unlike standard optical cameras, thermal cameras visualize heat itself, giving operators a live, real-time view of the entire space.

Each camera continuously scans the surface of battery racks and charging cables, sending data to a local processing unit that analyzes temperature patterns around the clock. When any point exceeds a defined threshold, the system instantly issues an alert through text, email, or dashboard notification.

This proactive approach allows teams to intervene before a hazardous situation develops. It also provides documentation for compliance and safety reporting, showing that every area is being actively monitored.

One of the advantages of modern thermal monitoring platforms like moviTHERM’s iTL system is how quickly they can be deployed. The system includes networked cameras, a gateway that processes and manages the data, and software that provides a simple interface for monitoring, alert setup, and reporting.

Facilities can start small and scale as their needs grow, adding cameras or expanding coverage over time. Because the technology operates autonomously, it requires little human involvement once configured, making it ideal for critical areas that cannot afford lapses in attention.