In 1973, Skylab launched into orbit, proving humans could live and work in space for extended periods. 1973 was also the year the NFPA 70B Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance was first published. Fifty years later, spaceflight has set its eyes on Mars, and electrical equipment maintenance has become critical in our electrified world.
January 2023 marked a significant milestone for NFPA 70B, officially transitioning from a Recommended Practice to the Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance. This change elevates what were once best practices to enforceable requirements for employers, promoting safety and reliability within electrical systems to prevent equipment failures and worker injuries.
"It has been 50 years since the first version of NFPA 70B was issued in 1973 as a recommended practice, which provided recommendations on what should be done. Now, the move to a standard provides more enforceability for what must be done when it comes to electrical equipment maintenance. That is a win-win for both the reliability of electrical equipment and the overall safety of the electrical systems and those individuals tasked with working on them."
Beyond the Basics: A Deep Dive into NFPA 70B
Your Electrical Maintenance Program
We frequently hear the question of whether an electrical maintenance program (EMP) is required. The answer is a resounding yes!
The equipment owner shall implement and document an overall Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP) that directs activity appropriate to safety and operational risks.
The 2023 NFPA 70B Standard requires the development and implementation of an Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP) which involves:
- Compilation of all electrical equipment and systems information, also known as your primary equipment list
- Documentation of inspection frequency based on equipment condition and criticality
- Records policy creation for electrical equipment maintenance
- Procedure documentation for maintenance activities
- Process to document and address maintenance issues
- Compilation and maintenance of electrical system studies
- Personnel training and qualifications
- Identification of a dedicated electrical maintenance program (EMP) coordinator
The NFPA 70B Standard helps you systematically manage electrical maintenance, enhancing safety and reliability for your people and facilities.
Risk Assessments to Prioritize Resources
The NFPA 70B Standard reinforces the adoption of risk and criticality assessments for your electrical equipment. This process involves identifying potential electrical hazards, such as arc flash risks, and prioritizing maintenance activities based on the risk exposure to your people and the impact on your operation.
By mandating this structured approach, the Standard ensures that you allocate maintenance resources effectively and reduce the likelihood of accidents and equipment failures.
Documentation and Recordkeeping
The 2023 NFPA 70B Standard emphasizes documentation and recordkeeping as a critical compliance component of your electrical equipment maintenance program.
Detailed records should include:
- Plan of inspections, servicing, and suitable tests
- Maintenance procedures for equipment
- Inspection dates
- Findings
- Actions taken
- Condition of equipment
The focus on documentation helps you maintain accountability and traceability while supporting ongoing compliance efforts and driving continuous improvement.
Updates to Testing and Inspection Frequencies
The NFPA 70B Standard includes tables with mandatory scopes of work and maintenance intervals by asset type and your equipment condition assessment. (Refer to Table 9.2.2)
Remember that the manufacturer’s guidelines will supersede the NFPA 70B frequency table, so the Standard’s guidelines will help you in the absence of information from your equipment’s manufacturer.
Alignment with the NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®
The significance of the adoption of NFPA 70B as a standard ensures greater alignment with other NFPA standards, particularly NFPA 70E, which focuses on electrical safety in the workplace.
The effectiveness of your electrical maintenance program hinges on your people’s ability to identify hazards and follow critical safety procedures. Besides being skilled in electrical maintenance, your people need training for NFPA 70E and:
- The specific maintenance tasks
- Test methods
- Test equipment
- PPE usage
- Hazards associated with the electrical equipment or system being serviced
Let us help you navigate the updates to your electrical maintenance program!
Evaluating your current electrical maintenance program against the NFPA 70B Standard will require a disciplined and systematic approach. Because of our decades of experience in reliability, maintenance, and safety, our team can help you with a pragmatic assessment and a roadmap to help you prioritize actions, meet compliance, and develop a business case that meets your company’s operating expenses (opex) and capital expenditures (capex) planning requirements.
Once we have a shared understanding of your electrical maintenance program’s state, priorities, and plan of action, we will help you follow through with a phased approach encompassing all the critical components of an NFPA 70B-compliant program.
Our partnership will deliver on multiple fronts, driving compliance with NFPA 70B, NFPA 70E, and OSHA while supporting your safety, reliability, and sustainability goals.
- Enhanced safety with a meticulous hazard identification and mitigation approach minimizes the risk of accidents and injuries
- Improved system reliability to ensure your electrical equipment operates in peak condition, preventing costly breakdowns and downtime
- Reduced costs by optimizing your equipment lifespan and minimizing repair/replacement needs
- Increased energy efficiency through optimized energy consumption to help reduce your environmental footprint
Let’s connect for a complimentary 30-minute electrical maintenance maturity assessment to illuminate the strengths and gaps of your current program.