Tip of the Week: When it Comes to Safety, Maintenance is Not an Option
Chapter 2 of NFPA 70E consists of 11 Articles, all of which are devoted to the idea that maintenance is a safety issue. Anyone who’s worked with electrical equipment for very long knows that poorly maintained equipment isn’t safe. The problem is convincing the spreadsheet people in the central corporate office that such things as “deferred maintenance” are euphemisms for “getting people hurt because you squeezed too many pennies out of the budget.”
Most of the Chapter 2 Articles repeat the same theme: “Equipment X must be maintained to do what Equipment X is supposed to do.” And they are really short; Chapter 2 takes up only four pages. However, Chapter 2 is not meant to be a maintenance guide; it doesn’t prescribe specific procedures [200.1] or identify mandatory maintenance practices. The Informational Note under 200.1 does list some applicable industry standards; however, there are many more.
Mostly what Chapter 2 does is emphasize a few key maintenance concepts, such as pointing out that those who perform the maintenance must be qualified to do so [205.1]. It also mandates keeping a current single-line diagram, a resource that’s essential for proper electrical maintenance. But the primary benefit of Chapter 2 is that it very clearly takes maintenance out of the “optional” column where it has never belonged, and properly highlights it as the safety issue that it is.
(promotional image courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
About the Author
Mark Lamendola
Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.
Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.
Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.