THERMOGRAPHY inspection and NFPA 70B

NFPA 70B - overview

In January 2023, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70B shifted from a “Recommended Practice” to a “Standard” containing mandatory language for developing, implementing, and operating an Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP).

This change will provide practical safeguards, helping protect people and support more reliable electrical systems.

It closely aligns with the NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, which indicates that even if the equipment is installed properly, it may not be safe to work on unless it is “properly maintained” per the manufacturer’s instructions or industry consensus standards.

The new standard will impact electrical infrastructure installed in industrial plants, institutional and commercial buildings, and large multifamily residential complexes.

Much like NFPA 70E, NFPA 70B is considered the minimum consensus requirement for safe electrical work practices, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can utilize this standard to issue citations.

Is Thermal Inspection expensive?

We offer competitive pricing and free consultations to Georgia businesses.

Schedule a Consultation

the value of Electrical Thermography Inspection

We understand what is important

Reduce your risk of unexpected downtime
Extend the life of your equipment
Prevent costly electrical fires
Ensure the safety of your employees
Short and long-term ROI
Stay in compliance with the NFPA

the cost of downtime

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." This classic and often dangerous mindset can prevent proactive maintenance. If equipment is currently running, there's a tendency to leave it alone, even if there are underlying issues developing.

- Some industry sources suggest that IR inspection can save anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 a year. This is based on the average number of anomalies found and the estimated cost of repairing those issues. Not including other related costs like idling labor and damaged goods, to name a few.

All industries are different, but the math is simple:

Example:

- A manufacturing company has a gross annual revenue of $10M

- They operate 40 hr/week, 52 weeks per year (2080 hrs)

- 80% of their revenue generation relies on uptime.

Step 1 - Calculate the lost Revenue per hour:

= (gross annual revenue / total business hrs a year) x Reliance on uptime %

Lost revenue per hour = (10M/2080) x 0.80 = $3,846.15

Step 2 - Calculate the cost of Downtime:

Total cost of downtime = (lost revenue per hour x downtime duration) + lost productivity + Repair cost + intangible Cost.

- Electrical failure occurs with a 4 hours downtime.

- They have 10 employees who are idle during downtime, with an average hourly wage of $20.

- The estimated Repair cost is $2,000.

- Intangible costs are difficult to quantify but are estimated at $1,000

Total Downtime cost: ($3,846.15 x 4)+(10 x $20 x 4)+ $2,000+$1,000= $19,184.60

- Our thermography services, combined with our people's electrical experience, will yield benefits that vastly outweigh inspection costs.

Insurance Policies

Many insurance companies either require an electrical maintenance plan to be in place to qualify for insurance or may offer higher or lower policy premiums based on this status.

What we Offer

Our Expertise

Understanding the theories involved in how infrared radiation works and how heat transfer affects the objects in a thermal image is essential.

Concepts such as emissivity, thermal reflections, thermal conductivity, and indirect temperature measurement are crucial to identifying and diagnosing electrical problems.

To produce an accurate electrical thermal report, the technician must consider several other factors to identify and diagnose a problem. Not all hot spots on electrical equipment are bad; some are part of the normal operation.

We believe the equipment is only as good as the operator. Therefore, we focus on training, scanning techniques, keeping the reporting software updated, and ensuring our equipment has the correct settings to produce an accurate report.

A Complete Report

The Report Include:

The date and time of the inspection
The name and qualification of the thermographer
The type and model of the thermography equipment used
The emissivity and reflected temperature settings used
The ambient temperature and humidity conditions
The circuit loading characteristics and operating conditions
The location and identification of the equipment inspected
The thermal images and visible images of the equipment inspected
The ΔT values for each area of concern and reference area
The severity level and recommended action for each area of concern
A dated sticker indicating an IR inspection was performed on the equipment.

In addition, we will include any visible NEC violations on the equipment inspected in the report.

electrical equipment conditions

Condition 1

Equipment Physical Condition 1 shall be assigned where all the following criteria apply:
- Condition 1 (Section 9.3.3.1): At least once every 12 months
  - The equipment appears in like new condition
  - The enclosure is clean, free from moisture intrusion, and tight
  - No unaddressed notification from the continuous monitoring system has occurred There are no active recommendations from predictive techniques
  - Previous maintenance has been performed in accordance with the EMP

Condition 2

Equipment Physical Condition 2 shall be assigned where all the 9.3.3.1 apply and where any of the following criteria apply:
- Condition 2 (Section 9.3.1.2): At least once every 12 months
  - Maintenance results deviate from past results or have indicated more frequent maintenance in accordance with manufacturer’s published data
  - The previous maintenance cycle has revealed issues requiring the repair or replacement of major equipment components
  - There have been notifications from the continuous monitoring system since the prior assessment
  - There are active recommendations from predictive techniques

Condition 3

Equipment Physical Condition 3 shall be assigned where changes in operation are noted or where any of the following criteria applies:
- Condition 3 (Section 9.3.1.2): At least once every 6 months
  - The equipment has missed the last two successive maintenance cycles in accordance with the EPM
  - The previous two maintenance cycles have 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
- Condition 4 Nonserviceable Equipment (Section 9.3.1.4): Immediate Action
  - Equipment that poses an imminent risk of injury or negative health effects to personnel shall be designated as nonserviceable in accordance with Section 8.7.1.3