by Brianna Crandall — August 17, 2020 — With hurricane season in full swing, building owners and managers of industrial and commercial facilities are facing the daunting process of disaster recovery. When electrical systems are damaged in a natural or man-made disaster, electricians need to make a critical decision about whether the electrical equipment that was damaged can be salvaged or not. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has created a checklist for electricians to help highlight and simplify key aspects of this decision-making process.
NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, details preventive maintenance for electrical, electronic, and communication systems and equipment such as those used in industrial plants, institutional and commercial buildings, and large multifamily residential complexes, to prevent equipment failures and worker injuries.
The checklist, which builds off of recommendations in Chapter 32 of the 2019 edition of NFPA 70B, includes:
- A list of disaster scenarios, which can inflict damage of varying degrees to facilities
- Steps for assessing equipment
- A priority assessment table
- Steps to help identify factors for replacement or repair
The free NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, checklist is available for download on NFPA’s website.
Additional resources for specialists tasked with protecting people and property from fire, electrical, and other emergencies can be found on NFPA’s disaster webpage, including bulletins, related code information, articles, and more.
For information on NFPA’s response to the evolving coronavirus situation and related resources, visit the NFPA webpage.
Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global self-funded nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online free of cost.
