NFPA Conference

NFPA 70B in Summary:

NFPA 70B is now a mandatory standard, not just a recommendation, for electrical equipment maintenance.

• Proactive Maintenance: with documented electrical maintenance programs (EMP), regular inspections, and testing.

• Safety and Reliability: through early detection of issues to prevent equipment failures and electrical hazards.  Tools like thermal imaging are required at 12 months or 6 months intervals depending on the asset’s condition (Section 7.2.1.1 and Table 9.2.2).

• Structured Approach: with guidelines for maintenance interval, procedures, and required personnel qualifications and training.

In short, NFPA 70B sets the rules for keeping electrical systems safe and working correctly through planned, regular maintenance.

Key Requirements of NFPA 70B For Thermal Imaging:

NFPA 70B, the Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance includes mandatory thermographic inspections for all electrical connections and terminations.

• Section 7.2.1.1 mandates that infrared thermographic inspection of electrical connections and terminations must be performed in accordance with Section 7.4.

• Section 7.4 mandates how the inspections must be conducted:

  • 7.4.1: Infrared Thermography shall be used when required to verify temperature differences (delta T) of the following:

    1. Similar electrical components under similar loading

    2. Comparison between electrical components and ambient air temperatures

  • 7.4.3: Temperature differences between the area of concern and references shall be documented.

  • 7.4.3-6: Inspections must be performed at normal circuit loading.  When normal loading is not feasible, a circuit loading of not less than 40% of nominal circuit loading is permitted.  Circuit loading characteristics shall be documented and retained for future reference.

• Table 9.2.2: Highlights the recommended maintenance intervals.  Infrared Inspection on all equipment is a standalone recommendation with 12-month intervals for equipment in Condition 1 and 2, for Condition 3 there is a 6-month interval.

• Section 8.4.1, 8.4.2 Requires testing personnel to be qualified to operate the test equipment and perform the test procedure on the specific equipment to be tested.

  Test records shall contain the following minimum information:

  1. Identification of the testing person and organization.

  2. Identification of the equipment under test.

  3. Nameplate or label data from the equipment under test.

  4. Environmental conditions, such as humidity and temperature, could affect the results of the tests or calibrations.

  5. Date of the test.

  6. Indication of test performed.

  7. Indication of pass/fail criteria, where applicable.

  8. Indication of as-found and as-left test results, where applicable.

  9. Test operator’s comments or recommendations, where applicable.

     
     
     

Testo Recommendations for NFPA 70B Requirements:

Implementing NFPA 70B requires a calibrated thermal imager, training for personnel, and a system for documentation.  The inspection of each electrical component must include with the thermal image the date, time, electrical loading, ambient temperature, and environmental conditions.

When considering thermal imagers for NFPA 70B compliance, it is crucial to focus on features that enable accurate temperature measurement, reliable detection of thermal anomalies, and ease of documentation.  All of our recommended solutions have onboard ∆T analysis and wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth).  Here’s a breakdown of key specifications:

Essential Thermal Imager Specifications:

• Accuracy: Accurate temperature measurement is paramount. Testo thermal cameras provide industry leading calibration across the full operating range of the camera to provide reliable measurements of ±2°C (3.6°F) or ±2% of the reading.

• Calibration: NFPA 70B requires calibration traceable to national standards.  Testo’s North American service center provides calibration and repair services for all our instruments.

• Delta T (ΔT) Measurement: The ability to accurately measure temperature differentials (ΔT) is essential for NFPA 70B compliance. The camera should have features that facilitate ΔT measurement and analysis onboard.

• Resolution and Optics: for proper measurement and documentation adequate resolution and field of view are needed to give a small spot size for measurement (also known as IFOV).  We recommend at least 320x240 resolution along with interchangeable optics for inspecting equipment at different distances.  Our systems include an IFOV Warning function to make sure you have the proper resolution to measure a small hot spot.

• Battery System: Consider systems with interchangeable batteries and multi-bay chargers to give you the run-time you need for longer inspections.

• Measurements for Electrical Load and Environmental Conditions: Testo’s NFPA70B solutions connect via Bluetooth with the Testo 770-3 Clamp meter for documenting electrical load and with the 605i Temperature/Humidity Probe for environmental conditions.

• Image Storage and Reporting: The camera should have ample storage capacity for thermal images and the ability to generate reports. Testo IRSoft and is included with the cameras.  There is no subscription fee required.  The 883 Cameras also include SiteRecognition to tag inspection points, and speed documentation.