Overview
ISO 6781-3:2015 - Performance of buildings: Detection of heat, air and moisture irregularities in buildings by infrared methods - Part 3 - defines the qualifications and competence required for personnel involved in building thermography. The standard sets out competency classes, training and experience requirements, and assessment principles for equipment operators, data analysts, and report writers who perform or interpret infrared thermographic investigations of buildings.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and applicability
- Covers qualifications for personnel who perform thermographic investigations, interpret thermograms, and report results for small, residential, commercial and institutional buildings.
- Not applicable to specialized equipment or other specific situations.
- Personnel classification
- Three competence levels: Class I, Class II, Class III. Each higher class includes the knowledge and skills of lower classes.
- Class I: safe operation, basic data collection, basic fault detection and reporting.
- Class II: advanced measurement and interpretation, specification of hardware/software, advanced post-processing, reporting and corrective action recommendations, supervision of Class I.
- Class III: program and procedure development, severity/acceptance criteria, selection of methods/equipment, prognostics, and leadership.
- Training, experience and assessment
- Specifies education, training and minimum practical experience (summarized in the standard’s tables and normative annexes).
- Includes test instruments (examinations) to verify knowledge, skills and abilities.
- Competence assessment should conform to ISO/IEC 17024 requirements and be performed by qualified bodies.
- Normative annexes
- Annex A and Annex B provide normative training course requirements and details for thermography personnel.
Practical applications - who uses it
- Building thermographers, energy auditors, building envelope inspectors, HVAC professionals, moisture investigators, facility managers, architects and engineers.
- Organizations use ISO 6781-3:2015 to:
- Specify minimum qualifications for contracting thermographic services.
- Design training and certification programs for thermographers and analysts.
- Ensure consistent quality of thermographic inspections used in energy audits, moisture intrusion detection, insulation defect identification, and air leakage diagnostics.
- Provide a conformity basis for competency statements in procurement, certification and regulatory contexts.
Related standards and context
- Part of the ISO 6781 series on building thermography (other parts cover procedures and equipment requirements).
- Normative references include ISO 9288:1989 (radiative heat transfer terms) and ISO/IEC 17024:2012 (requirements for bodies certifying persons).
ISO 6781-3:2015 is a practical reference for organizations and professionals who need to ensure reliable, repeatable and interpretable infrared thermographic services for building performance assessment.
