Speeding Up Access

Tips to achieve this.

July 20, 2021

2 min read

How much time for a given repair does the technician spend removing and re-installing covers? It’s not just the time involved turning all those screws. In many cases, a flash hazard analysis must be performed, and the correct PPE acquired and used.

The screws don’t just hold the cover in place when everything’s fine, they also hold the cover in place when something goes wrong on the other side. So, you can’t leave screws out. Use electric screwdrivers and look into replacing screws with flip latches.

If your repair includes voltage measurements, an equipment modification can reduce repair time. Bring the test points to a test panel installed outside the access area. Today, you can use a single display that allows you to scroll through all of them.

If the repair calls for a thermographic scan to verify connection replacement quality, replace this step with measuring the conductance across the new connections as you make them. If it’s within tolerance, that connection is not going to show up as hot in the thermographic scan because there’s not enough resistance across the connection to create a hot spot.

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.