NFPA and its
Implications on
Electrical Inspections
Presented by:
Martin Robinson
CEO
IRISS, Inc.
Incident Pyramid
1
10
Fatality
Disabling Injuries
100
1 000
10 000
100 000
Commonly used update to the Safety Pyramid: W.H. Heinrich, 1931
Recordable Injuries
1st Aid Cases
Near-miss Incidents
Hazardous Tasks
Arc Flash Pyramid
1
Fatality
Incurable Burns Over ½ of Body
6
20
Burn Injuries
Arc Flash Incidents
85
Data derived from research by CapSchell, Inc.
Arc Flash Incident Pyramid
1
10
100
1 000
10 000
100 000
Comparison
Fatality
Disabling Injuries
1
6
Recordable Injuries
1st Aid Cases
Near-Miss Incidents
20
85
Hazardous Tasks
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
Exposed
RiskIncreasing
Hazard
/Risk
NFPA 70E
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
Metal Clad Switchgear 1 kV to 38 kV
NFPA 70E
Hazard/Risk
Category
Min. Arc
Rating
Clothing Description
0
Non-melting, flammable materials (i.e., untreated
cotton, wool, rayon, or silk, or blends of these
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
3
Arc-rated FR shirt & pants or FR coverall, and arc flash
suit selected so that the system arc rating meets the
required minimum
25 cal/cm2
4
Arc-rated FR shirt & pants or FR coverall, and arc flash
suit selected so that the system arc rating meets the
required minimum
40 cal/cm2
n/a
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)
Panel Removal
Suit up for Live Works
30 minutes
30 Minutes
•2 x Electricians
•1 x RCM Engineer
•2 x Electricians
Move to Next Panel
Time For Live Inspection
1 hour 6 minutes
(excludes PPE Suit-up Time)
Infrared Scan
10 Minutes
•1 x RCM Engineer
Panel Refit
30 minutes
•All
•2 x Electricians
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)
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 =
Operation
Total
$200.00
Man Hours
Total Man Hours
Rate ($/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)
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 =
Operation
Total
$00.0
Man Hours
Total Man Hours
Rate ($/hr)
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 =
Cost of IRISS VPFR 75 (3 inch diameter) Infrared Inspection Window
Year 1 Manpower Costs Per Inspection of 1 Electrical Panel =
Total
$22.50
190.00
$212.50
5 Year Cost Benefit Analysis
Period
Cumulative Cost Without
IR Windows
Cumulative Cost Using
IR Windows
$ Savings Per
Inspection
Total %
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
$0
Manpower Costs Per PPE Suit-up As Per NFPA 70E =
Operation
Man Hours
Total Man Hours Rate ($/hr)
$0
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
Period
Cumulative Cost Without
IR Windows
Cumulative Cost Using
IR Windows
$ Savings Per
Inspection
Total %
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
Frequency
Cumulative Cost Using
IR Windows
$ Cumulative
Savings
Total %
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??