NFPA 70B, the Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, transitioned after 50 years from a recommended practice to a document mandating and enforcing preventive maintenance for electrical, electronic and communication systems. 

The standard is designed to help prevent equipment failures and worker injuries, placing new emphasis on structured maintenance programs and methods to reduce fire risk and support business continuity. This is significant, as reliability and system uptime is a major talking point in security and life safety systems, especially in critical infrastructure and high-security applications. 

Safety cited as influencing factor

Serious injuries, fatalities and large property damage are continually linked to lack of equipment maintenance. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), Arlington, Va., equipment that’s not properly maintained or not maintained at all is a major safety risk. ESFI data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2011–2022 found that construction and extraction occupations and installation, maintenance and repair workforces had among the highest rate of electrical fatalities.

For systems integrators, NFPA 70B outlines detailed maintenance requirements and establishes a program for ongoing documentation and data, creating a road map to more stable systems, optimized for longevity and worker safety.

Corey Hannahs, technical lead for NFPA’s Electrical Division, Quincy, Mass., said the National Electrical Code Committee received multiple requests to include maintenance recommendations in the NEC but determined it should be covered in a separate document. NFPA only reclassifies a document when the committee believes the topic requires mandatory requirements rather than guidance. These standards are often adopted into building codes, creating legal obligations. 

“Converting NFPA 70B from a voluntary practice to a standard makes it fully enforceable,” Hannahs said. “This enforcement could come from jurisdictions, insurance companies or other entities that choose to require compliance with NFPA 70B. Additionally, companies may opt to implement and enforce NFPA 70B internally because they recognize the benefits of doing so.”

Cohesive plan for safer systems

Manufacturers offer specific equipment maintenance data, but general guidance is often scattered, and they don’t always provide information for all maintenance activities required. 

“Creating a single NFPA document was advantageous for these reasons. Manufacturer-required maintenance take precedence, but NFPA 70B fills in significant gaps,” Hannahs said. 

NFPA 70B helps to establish a “condition of maintenance” for electrical equipment that must be considered as part of the requirements of NFPA 70E when performing risk assessments. The condition of maintenance focuses on the installed and current state of the in-place electrical equipment, as well as establishes a means to evaluate that condition and assess potential risk associated with servicing. System studies are included in NFPA 70B to help identify components and configurations that may cause unplanned outages.

Practical starters for integrators

“A good starting point is to fully understand the importance of NFPA 70B in conjunction with these documents to achieve comprehensive electrical safety within a facility. At NFPA, we promote this approach through [the Electrical Cycle of Safety]. Install with NFPA 70, protect with NFPA 70E and maintain with NFPA 70B,” Hannahs said.

He offered these suggestions to systems integrators:

Get staff properly trained in NFPA 70B and its implications for your business. NFPA offers online NFPA 70B training.

Engage with end-user customers to help them understand the critical role maintenance plays in worker safety, facility integrity and uninterrupted business operations. This conversation creates opportunities to identify the customer’s maintenance needs, while also potentially assisting in the development and implementation of a site-specific electrical maintenance program for their facilities.

Physical security systems have moved from reactionary technology to essential systems that require the highest levels of uptime and reliability and result in more comprehensive life safety. 

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