The examples in this material are provided as hypothetical and for illustration purposes only. IR Thermography Infrared Thermography is a superior form of non-destructive testing (NDT) for predictive maintenance. IR Testing Recommended by NFPA. Even following manufacturers’ standards for equipment maintenance may miss potentially hazardous conditions. Regardless of how safe your electrical gear was when it was originally installed, time and site conditions can compromise that safety. By providing this information to you. A comprehensive infrared inspection can discover hidden defects, prevent unplanned failures, business interruption, equipment damage, and insurance losses. Infrared testing is a point-in-time survey and should be completed during periods of normal to maximum electrical loads. Fire Safety Compliance – NFPA 70B prescribes annual infrared inspections for electrical systems. Cost of Infrared Scan. Should be repaired before scheduled maintenance. Cost of Infrared Scan. References: NFPA - 70B Standard, NETA, and EPRI Problem Level Alert Severe Critical Temperature Differential 7.2°F-14.4°F 4.1°C-8°C 14.5°F-27°F 8.1°C-15°C >27°F >15°C Description First Stage. Identifying a potential problem before a failure occurs is a major benefit of conducting an IR evaluation as well as maintaining records for insurance compliance to reduce premiums. Cost of Infrared Scan. Thermographic Test or Thermography Test Services for your Electrical Panels and Systems helps you to manage your electrical and fire safety risks. When current flow is increased, the resulting power consumption will increase. Equipment enclosed for 10-NFPA 70B-2014 [ Section No. Thermography may be used to detect these temperature differences. Based on the scan results, a schedule to rescan should be based on the types of equipment, power consumption, and age of the electrical systems. NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, published by the NFPA, provides a listing of maintenance and equipment testing intervals in Annex L. In addition to these recommended intervals, some conditions and circumstances may specifically warrant a … NFPA 70 NFPA 70E NFPA 70B NEC Relationship with NFPA 70B • NFPA 70B was created because several requests were sent to NEC (NFPA 70) Committee to include maintenance recommendations in the NEC. 70B is the Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, while 70E is the standard that covers electrical safety in the workplace. NEC Relationship with NFPA 70B • NFPA 70B was created because several requests were sent to NEC (NFPA 70) Committee to include maintenance recommendations in the NEC. Monitor and repair during next scheduled maintenance. A company may perform thermographic inspections in-house or hire a consultant. Q: Please note that the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E now has a 6th requirement for Article 130.1(A)(4): Normal Operation. The result can be arc flash or arc blast events and/or shock or electrocution risks. What is NFPA 70B’s Stance? The primary application for infrared thermography is electrical applications. Criteria for assessing the seriousness of anomaliesIn the USA the NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency) adopted the NFPA 70B: Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance recognising thermography as a valid technique for fire prevention of electrical origin. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70B Recommended Practices for Electrical Equipment Maintenance provides guidance on setting up and performing an infrared scanning program. ... 4.2.1 Infrared thermography will be presented as an inspection technique to gather and present Two NFPA documents dramatically changed IR thermography over the last 25 years – NFPA 70B and NFPA 70E. NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, published by the NFPA, provides a listing of maintenance and equipment testing intervals in Annex L. In addition to these recommended intervals, some conditions and circumstances may specifically warrant a thermographic … These include: This material is provided for informational purposes only and does not provide any coverage or guarantee loss prevention. High resistance in circuits causes an increase in current flow. The average cost for the infrared scan, analysis, and report is $1000 to $1200 per day. NFPA 70 suggests that a hazard/risk analysis be conducted prior to working on electrical equipment. Colbert Infrared tracks the history of all your inspections using the “Thermal Trend” database that benchmarks and trends all of your electrical equipment when it was tested and by whom. NFPA 70E is The Industry Standard that addresses and defines Electrical Safety in the workplace. NFPA 70B, IEEE, and NETA all recommend IR scans be conducted annually. Section 11.17 of NFPA 70B-2016 edition recommends that building owners complete IR surveys annually. While all properties can benefit from a thermographic scan, those with high power consumption, multiple branch circuits and distribution subsystems, or heavy equipment have the greatest need. These problems may lead to excess power use, increased maintenance costs, or catastrophic equipment failure resulting in unscheduled service interruptions, equipment damage, or other problems. • Installed equipment will work as intended only if maintained to an acceptable level of performance.