Keeping Your Electrical Maintenance Program NFPA 70B Compliant
Thermography plays a vital role in electrical maintenance programs that require adequate data, proper documentation, and the right equipment.
Protecting electrical maintenance pros is a high priority for the National Fire Protection Association. That's why, in 2023, the NFPA released new recommendations for the use of thermal when inspecting critical electrical equipment that could endanger personnel. Of course, adhering to this new guidance may require additional training as well as new, high tech equipment. But the payoff, in terms of safety and equipment reliability, is easy to see.
Lives Cannot Be Replaced. Equipment Can.
One of the primary reasons for the standards is to improve safety—to protect individuals who operate on or near such equipment or who routinely inspect and provide maintenance for electrical systems. Unexpected shutdowns and maintenance can also hamper productivity and increase costs. Therefore, maintaining an effective electrical preventative maintenance (EPM) program is vital both for the health and safety of personnel. It's also key to maintaining the financial health of private businesses, corporations, and government agencies that are required to complete condition monitoring and maintenance work. The NFPA recognizes that thermography is now mission-critical to effective EPM.
What is NFPA 70B?
First, we need to understand the guidelines and why they're important.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provides mandated industry standards that cover the required development, implementation, and operation of an electrical maintenance program through NFPA 70B. The standards detail preventative maintenance for electrical systems used in industrial plants, commercial buildings, and large multi-family residential complexes to prevent equipment failures and injuries.
Displaying ΔT on screen ensures that you have the data you need as fast as possible.
Thermography's role
In 2023, NFPA added a requirement to inspect electrical equipment at least every 12 months; further, equipment that meets the Equipment Physical Condition 3—meaning equipment that, in previous scans, was identified as needing urgent action or equipment that has missed previous scans—requires inspection using thermography equipment at least once every six months.
This is all outlined in section 7.4, “Infrared Thermography", which offers specific steps and conditions inspection programs must follow regarding the use of thermal imagers for identifying temperature differences, known as “Delta T” or ΔT.
It's not enough to simply record the temperature on an obvious hot spot. Section 7.4.1 details using a thermal imaging camera to measure ΔT for similar electrical components, under similar loading, and to compare the temperature differences between electrical components and ambient air temperature.
Documenting Findings From Your Thermography Inspection
Another critical step involves how you record data from your thermography inspection.
NFPA 70B explicitly requires documentation of inspections in section 7.4.3, stating, “temperature differences between the area of concern and the reference area shall be documented.”
Documentation ensures a historical record of changes in an asset over time and provides a sort of "early warning system" for impending failures.
Those differences, though, must be properly accounted for through consistent inspections. For example, if an inspection cannot be performed at normal circuit loading, inspectors should at minimum “inspect at no less than 40 percent of normal circuit loading” (7.4.5)—and inspected the same way, each time. Then, those “circuit loading characteristics shall be documented and retained for future reference” (7.4.6).
Frequency of Inspections
In the absence of manufacturer guidelines, NFPA 70B makes recommendations for the frequency of thermal inspections depending on the condition of the given asset. NFPA defines an asset’s condition as one of the following three levels:
Condition 1
Essentially a new asset, one that is in the best physical condition it could possibly be.
Condition 2
Equipment that was noted to have problems in previous condition assessments but did not require repairs during the past two previous maintenance cycles.
Condition 3
- Equipment that missed the last two successive maintenance cycles in accordance with the electrical maintenance program.
- The previous two maintenance cycles revealed issues requiring the repair or replacement of major equipment components.
- There is an active or unaddressed notification from the continuous monitoring system.
- There are urgent actions identified from predictive techniques.
NFPA 70B states that all assets designated for thermal inspection, regardless of conditions should be inspected at least every 12 months. Assets deemed Condition 1 or Condition 2 can maintain a regular inspection of every 12 months, or as stipulated by the prevailing guidelines offered by the manufacturer should they be available. If an asset falls under Condition 3, requiring the most urgent attention, that equipment should be inspected every six months.
Test Records
Finally, the NFPA 70B includes guidance for the creation of test records. Section 8.6.2 states that records are required for all field tests of electrical equipment. Test records are required to contain the following information at minimum:
- Identification of the testing person and organization.
- Identification of the equipment under test.
- Nameplate or label data from the equipment under test.
- Environmental conditions, such as humidity and temperature, that could affect the results of the tests or calibrations.
- Date of the test.
- Indication of test performed.
- Indication of pass/fail criteria, where applicable.
- Indication of as-found and as-left test results, where applicable.
- Test operator’s comments or recommendations, where applicable.
What to Look for in Thermography Equipment
When looking for thermography equipment that helps with adhering to NFPA 70B, consider looking for the below functions:
Multiple Spot Meters
The ability to measure temperatures in multiple spots at the same time helps you to quickly identify faults and confirm that they deviate from the standard.
Isotherms
Isotherms are color palettes that highlight certain temperature ranges in a thermal image. Faulty temperatures can be found even more quickly and more easily with the help of isotherms.
Reporting Software
Good reporting software will speed up post inspection reporting through custom auto-generated reports and stronger analysis tools.
Ability to capture ΔT
Having built in ΔT tracking across captures simplifies the process of comparing the inspection area to your reference area and reduces the chances of human error.
NFPA 70B: Learn how FLIR can help you stay safe and compliant with the new standards
What do NFPA 70B guidelines mean for you and your organization? Find out in this recorded webinar.
