NFPA and its

Implications on
Electrical Inspections

Presented by:
Martin Robinson
CEO
IRISS, Inc.
 Incident Pyramid
Fatality
1

Disabling Injuries
10

Recordable Injuries
100

1st Aid Cases

1 000

Near-miss Incidents
10 000

Hazardous Tasks
100 000
Commonly used update to the Safety Pyramid: W.H. Heinrich, 1931
 Arc Flash Pyramid
Fatality
1

Incurable Burns Over ½ of Body

6

Burn Injuries
20

Arc Flash Incidents

85

Data derived from research by CapSchell, Inc.

 Arc Flash Incident Pyramid
Fatality
1 1
Disabling Injuries
10 6
Recordable Injuries
100
20
1st Aid Cases
1 000
Near-Miss Incidents
10 000 85
Hazardous Tasks
100 000

Comparison General EHS Arc Flash

Near-Miss : Fatality 10 000 : 1 85 : 1
Near Miss : Disabling Injury 10 000 : 1 85 : 6
Injury : Fatality 1 000 : 1 20 : 1
 Established 1896

World’s Leading Advocate Of Fire

Prevention

Over 300 Codes And Standards

Worldwide Influence

Expert Consensus To Create Standards

NEC (NFPA 70) National Electric Code

NFPA 70B Recommended Practice For

Electrical Equipment Maintenance

NFPA 70E Standard For Electrical

Safety In The Workplace
National Electric Code (NEC)
NFPA 70

Established 1897 by efforts of Insurance,

Architectural, Electrical and allied interests

Electrical Design, Installation & Inspection

NOT to address Maintenance or Workplace

Safety
NFPA 70B Recommended
Practice for Electrical
Equipment Maintenance
NFPA 70B

• Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance

Committee established 1968

• To address “preventative maintenance of electrical systems
and equipment used in industrial-type applications with the
view of reducing loss of life and property.”

2006 Edition
• Enhanced Focus on Safety
• Importance of Baseline Performance Data
• How to Apply RCM (Reliability Centered Maintenance)
NFPA 70B

• Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance

2010 Edition
• Reorganization of document, including grouping of related
topics plus consolidation of testing information
• New material on emergency preparedness and electrical system
and equipment restoration
• New recommendations on how to conduct outsourcing of
electrical equipment maintenance
• New information on failure modes effects and criticality
analysis (FMECA)
Chapter 4:
• Why an Effective Electrical Preventive Maintenance
(EPM) Program Pays Dividends

“Dependability can be engineered and built

into equipment, but effective maintenance is
required to keep it dependable.”
Chapter 11: (previously Chapter 21)
• Testing and Test Methods

“Infrared inspections of electrical systems are beneficial

to reduce the number of costly and catastrophic
equipment failures and unscheduled plant shutdowns.”

• “(Infrared inspections) can reduce typical visual

examinations and tedious manual inspections and
are especially effective in long-range detection
situations.”
Chapter 11:
• Testing and Test Methods

Inspection Cycles
• Up to Quarterly where warranted by
• Loss Experience
• New Installation
• Environmental Changes
• Changes in operational or Load Conditions
Chapter 11:

• Calls for “Maximum Possible Loading”

Open For Direct View of Components

• But 70B, 70E and OSHA 1910 all call for an

electrically safe work condition whenever
possible
NFPA 70E Standard for
Electrical Safety in the
Workplace
NFPA 70E
• Standard For Electrical Safety in the
Workplace

Committee Established 1976

• To assist OSHA in developing electrical
safety standards

2007 OSHA stated that it will:

• “Draw heavily from Aspects of 70E and NEC
in a rare revision of 1910.303 Subpart S”
NFPA 70E
• Fundamental Principal Upon Which 70E and
OSHA are Based

Control Risk Wherever Practical:

• Eliminate the Hazard
• Reduce the Risk by Design
• Apply Safeguards
• Implement Administrative Controls
• Use PPE
When is 70E Applicable?

• Workers Exposed to Energized Electrical

Conductors or Circuit Parts
• Risk-Increasing Behavior
• Reason to Believe that Equipment Could
Experience a Sudden Change in State
 NFPA 70E

Increasing
Exposed

Hazard
/Risk
Metal Clad Switchgear 1 kV to 38 kV

Risk-
Removal of Bolted Covers Yes Yes 4

Opening Hinged Covers Yes Yes 3

CB Operation with Enclosure Doors Open Yes Yes 4

CB Operation with Enclosure Doors Closed No Yes 2

Performing Thermography Outside the Restricted Area Yes No 3

Reading a Panel Meter While Operating a Meter Switch No No 0

 NFPA 70E
Hazard/Risk Min. Arc
Category Clothing Description Rating
Non-melting, flammable materials (i.e., untreated
0 cotton, wool, rayon, or silk, or blends of these n/a
materials) with fabric weight of less than 4.5 oz/yd2

1 Arc-rated FR shirt & FR pants or FR coverall 4 cal/cm2

2 Arc-rated FR shirt & FR pants or FR coverall 8 cal/cm2

Arc-rated FR shirt & pants or FR coverall, and arc flash

3 suit selected so that the system arc rating meets the 25 cal/cm2
required minimum
Arc-rated FR shirt & pants or FR coverall, and arc flash
4 suit selected so that the system arc rating meets the 40 cal/cm2
required minimum

Table 130.7(C)(11)
“The collective experience of the task group is that in
most cases closed doors do not provide enough
protection to eliminate the need for PPE for instances
where the state of the equipment is known to readily
change (e.g., doors open or closed, rack in or rack out).”

- 70E: 130.7(C)(9) FPN No. 2

 IR Window and
Ultrasound Port Cost
Benefit Analysis
 Electrical Panel Removal Man-hours
• 3 Man Live Electrical RCM Team consists of:
– 2 x Electrical Engineers:
– 2 x Electricians for panel removal
– 1 x RCM Engineer (Contracted)

Suit up for Live Works Panel Removal Infrared Scan

30 Minutes 30 minutes 10 Minutes

•2 x Electricians •2 x Electricians •1 x RCM Engineer

•1 x RCM Engineer

Move to Next Panel Panel Refit

30 minutes
Time For Live Inspection
1 hour 6 minutes •All •2 x Electricians

(excludes PPE Suit-up Time)

 NFPA 70E

Example of Category 3 or 4 PPE

Cost Analysis of Energized RCM Survey Removing Panels

Operation Man Hours Total Man Hours Rate ($/hr) Total

RCM Engineer PPE Suit-up 0.5 0.5 $150 $75.00
Electrician PPE Suit-up 0.5 1.0 $125 $125.00

Manpower Costs Per PPE Suit-up As Per NFPA 70E = $200.00

Operation Man Hours Total Man Hours Rate ($/hr) Total
Cover Removal 0.5 1.0 $125 $125.00
RCM Inspection 0.1 0.1 $150 $15.00
Cover Replacement 0.5 1.0 $125 $125.00
RCM Engineer Waiting Time 1.0 1.0 $150 $150.00
Electrician Waiting Time 0.1 .2 $125 $25.00
Manpower Costs Per Inspection of 1 Electrical Panel = $450.00
Total Manpower Costs Per Inspection of 1 Electrical Panel = $650.00
Cost Analysis of Energized RCM Survey Using IR Windows
Operation Man Hours Total Man Hours Rate ($/hr) Total
RCM Engineer PPE Suit-up 0 0 $150 $0
Electrician PPE Suit-up 0 0 $125 $0

Manpower Costs Per PPE Suit-up As Per NFPA 70E = $00.0

Operation Man Hours Total Man Hours Rate ($/hr) Total

Cover Removal 0 0 $125 $0
RCM Inspection 0.15 0.5 $150 $22.50
Cover Replacement 0 0 $125 $0
RCM Engineer Waiting Time 0 0 $150 $0
Electrician Waiting Time 0 0 $125 $0
Manpower Costs Per Inspection of 1 Electrical Panel = $22.50
Cost of IRISS VPFR 75 (3 inch diameter) Infrared Inspection Window 190.00
Year 1 Manpower Costs Per Inspection of 1 Electrical Panel = $212.50
 5 Year Cost Benefit Analysis
Cumulative Cost Without Cumulative Cost Using $ Savings Per Total %
Period
IR Windows IR Windows Inspection Saving
Year 1 $650.00 $212.50 $437.50 67%
Year 2 $1,300.00 $235.00 $1,065.00 82%
Year 3 $1,950.00 $257.50 $1,692.50 87%
Year 4 $2,600.00 $280.00 $2,320.00 89%
Year 5 $3,250.00 $302.50 $2,947.50 91%

Example shows a saving of nearly $3,000.00 over a

5 year period (91%) for 1 cable compartment in
a Medium Voltage Electrical Panel
 Cost Analysis For Paper Mill
Scenario:
Paper Mill “X” currently have 150 pieces of primary switchgear
that they inspect annually (due to intrusive nature of the
inspection).
The RCM inspections (Ultrasound and Infrared) are currently
completed “ENERGISED” in line with the requirements of NFPA70E
& 70B. (full PPE and Strict guidelines on how inspections are
completed)
Inspection is completed by 2 Plant Electricians ( required for panel
removal) and 1 Contract RCM Engineer.
Inspections currently take approximately 150 hrs (3 weeks)
Cost Analysis of Energized RCM Survey Removing Panels
Operation Man Hours Total Man Hours Rate ($/hr) Total
RCM Engineer PPE Suit-up 0.5 0.5 $150 $75.00

Electrician PPE Suit-up 0.5 1.0 $125 $125.00

Manpower Costs Per PPE Suit-up As Per NFPA 70E = $200.00

21 Days, 2 suit-ups per day (42 total dress-outs = 63.0 hrs) $8,400.00

Operation Man Hours Total Man Hours Rate ($/hr) Total

Cover Removal 0.5 150.0 $125 $18,750.00
RCM Inspection 0.1 15.0 $150 $2,250.00
Cover Replacement 0.5 150.0 $125 $18,750.00
RCM Engineer Waiting Time 1.0 150.0 $150 $22,500.00
Electrician Waiting Time 0.1 30.0 $125 $3,750.00
Manpower Costs of 150 Electrical Panels = $66,000.00
Total Manpower Costs Per Inspection of 1 Electrical Panel = $74,400.00
Cost Analysis of Energized RCM Survey Using IR Windows
Operation Man Hours Total Man Hours Rate ($/hr) Total
RCM Engineer PPE Suit-up 0 0 $150 $0
Electrician PPE Suit-up 0 0 $125 $0
Manpower Costs Per PPE Suit-up As Per NFPA 70E = $0
Operation Man Hours Total Man Hours Rate ($/hr) Total
Cover Removal 0 0 $125 $0
RCM Inspection 15.0 15.0 $150 $2,250.00
Cover Replacement 0 0 $125 $0
RCM Engineer Waiting Time 0 0 $150 $0
Electrician Waiting Time 0 0 $125 $0
Manpower Costs Per Inspection of 1 Electrical Panel = $2,250.00
Cost of IRISS VPFR 75 IR Windows and VP12 Ultrasound Ports = $28,500.00

Year 1 Manpower Costs Per Inspection of 1 Electrical Panel = $30,750.00

 5 Year Cost benefit: Cost Analysis
Cumulative Cost Without Cumulative Cost Using $ Savings Per Total %
Period
IR Windows IR Windows Inspection Saving
Year 1 $74,400.00 $30,750.00 $43,650.00 59%
Year 2 $148,800.00 $33,000.00 $115,800.00 78%
Year 3 $223,200.00 $35,250.00 $187,950.00 84%
Year 4 $297,600.00 $37,500.00 $260,100.00 87%
Year 5 $372,000.00 $39,750.00 $332,350.00 89%

Example shows a saving of $332,350.00 over a 5

year period (89%) for 150 cable compartments
in a Medium Voltage Electrical Panels
 Increased Inspection Frequency Analysis
5 Year Cost Analysis:
Inspection Cumulative Cost Using $ Cumulative Total %
Frequency IR Windows Savings Saving
Annual $39,750.00 $332,350.00 89%

6 Monthly $51,000.00 $321,100.00 86%

4 Monthly $62,250.00 $309,850.00 83%

3 Monthly $73,500.00 $298,600.00 80%

Using Ultrasound Ports and IR windows allows you to increase your

inspection frequency by a factor of 4 and the 5 year program cost is less than
the original Annual “Energized” inspection methodologies.
Working with Infrared Windows Installed
Working with Ultrasound Ports Installed
Working with U/Sound Ports and IR Windows

• Remove High-Risk Behavior

• Maintain Enclosed & Guarded Condition
• Fully Loaded Inspections
• Access to Un-Inspectable Gear
• Efficient Surveys
• Control Risk to Personnel, Plant & Processes
• Eliminate >99% of Arc Triggers During Inspection
 Companies Looking To Improve Profitability, Uptime And Safety Should
Study The Recommendations In The NFPA 70B Standard For Electrical
Preventive Maintenance.

It Is Significant That The Standards Value Infrared Inspections As A Critical

Part Of An EPM Program.

Infrared Inspection Windows Provide A Way For The Companies To Comply

With The Recommendations For Inspection Processes.

NFPA And OSHA Agree That Electrical Equipment Should Not Be Opened
Unless It Is De-energized.

Infrared Inspection Windows Will Help Companies To Comply With

Standards.
 Visit www.iriss.com and
download your free copy of:
“10 Things you Need to Know
About Infrared Windows”
Questions??