NFPA Devises Natural Disaster Checklist
With the start of hurricane season in June, building owners and managers of industrial and commercial facilities are facing the daunting process of potential recovery if disaster strikes. When electrical systems are damaged in a natural or man-made disaster, electrical professionals must make a critical decision about whether the electrical equipment that was damaged can be salvaged or not. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has created a checklist for electricians to help highlight and simplify key aspects of this decision-making process.
NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance details preventive maintenance for electrical, electronic, and communication systems and equipment such as those used in industrial plants, institutional and commercial buildings, and large multi-family residential complexes, to prevent equipment failures and worker injuries. The checklist, which builds off of recommendations in Chapter 32 of the 2019 edition of NFPA 70B, includes:
- A list of disaster scenarios, which can inflict damage of varying degrees to facilities
- Steps for assessing equipment
- A priority assessment table
- Steps to help identify factors for replacement or repair
The free checklist is available for download on NFPA’s website. Additional resources for specialists tasked with protecting people and property from fire, electrical, and other emergencies can be found on NFPA's disaster webpage.