As an electrical contractor and electrical safety consultant, I’ve performed countless audits and service calls where the equipment tells the whole story before anyone opens their mouth. Thick coats of dust on all the electrical equipment, circuit breakers so stiff you must lean your whole body into them, and equipment doors painted shut and damaged to the point that they won’t even close! When I bring up electrical equipment maintenance, owners or facility managers often shrug and say, “but it was working fine until now” or “if it isn’t broke, why fix it?”

That response is exactly why I believe the responsibility to educate electrical equipment owners falls squarely on our shoulders as contractors and consultants. We have the knowledge and the expertise about what is important to keep electrical equipment running as intended. We can’t simply install the equipment, collect the final check and walk away. This leaves the owner in the dark about maintenance, and sooner or later one of our technicians will be standing in front of that gear again. If it’s neglected, their safety is compromised before they ever get started with the work.

The foundation of the maintenance conversation is, and must always be, safety. NFPA 70B (2023) has changed from a recommended practice to a full standard, and it establishes clear expectations. NFPA 70B requires equipment owners to develop and implement an overall electrical maintenance program (EMP). That change was no small shift. It recognized what decades of incident investigations and accident data have already told us: neglected equipment is dangerous. Therefore, the owners need to plan out how they will approach maintaining the electrical system. But are they aware of this new requirement? Do they know how to even get started in building this written program? 

NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, also brings this reality into sharper focus as it introduces the concept of a “normal operating condition,” which  requires equipment to be properly installed and maintained. If electrical equipment hasn’t been maintained, it doesn’t qualify as being in normal operating condition, which means any task could potentially pose an arc flash hazard. And when you conduct an assessment to find out, you must consider the equipment’s condition of maintenance.

Properly maintained equipment also ensures the incident energy value is accurate when technicians return to service it. Remember, incident energy is composed of two main factors: the amount of current in an arcing fault and the duration of the fault. Typically, we rely on the clearing time of upstream overcurrent protective devices to interrupt the fault and stop the arc flash. If a poorly maintained circuit breaker takes longer to clear the fault than originally thought, the incident energy and employee risk increase substantially. So, how do we convince equipment owners to act? Let’s start by making a solid business case.

Safety and beyond

While safety is our rallying point, not every owner responds to this argument alone. Sometimes we need to make a parallel business case to show why proper maintenance is important for safety and pays dividends to the bottom line. Frame it as a way to minimize downtime and unexpected repair costs while maximizing reliable operations. We need to be willing to think and speak that language when approaching owners. 

Well-maintained equipment is more reliable and efficient, and less expensive in the long run. When breakers, transformers and switchgear are inspected, cleaned and tested regularly, they fail less often. That means fewer unexpected outages, costly emergency service calls and disruptions to business operations. Preventive maintenance transforms what would have been chaotic breakdowns and unplanned shutdowns into planned, controlled service windows.

A failed circuit breaker might cost a few thousand dollars to replace, but the downtime for a production line can easily run tens of thousands every hour. A simple infrared scan or cleaning might cost a few hundred, but catching a loose connection early could prevent a catastrophic fire and equipment failure. Owners often understand the dollars and cents, and they certainly understand the cost of lost productivity.

However, never lead with reliability or efficiency and leave safety as an afterthought. Safety is why we’re having the conversation in the first place. But the combination of safety and savings for the owner is a powerful statement.

In reality, manufacturers have been saying this all along and inserting maintenance requirements in their recommendations. There is often also a warranty incentive, too. Why should a manufacturer honor a warranty on equipment that has not been maintained properly? Would a car manufacturer cover an engine failure under warranty if the owner had never changed the oil?

NFPA 70B and 70E are just reinforcing what equipment manufacturers have already told us. Open the instruction manual for any major breaker, switch or transformer, and you’ll see maintenance intervals spelled out in black and white. Lubricate every three to five years. Inspect annually. Perform insulation resistance tests before returning to service. Replace components after a defined number of operations. These aren’t just minor suggestions; they’re requirements for safe operation and warranty coverage. 

Manufacturers know their products. NFPA 70B and NFPA 70E tie it together into a framework. And the contractors are the bridge to ensuring building owners understand and act on it.

Your role

This means every contractor, project manager and service tech has a role in educating owners. But how can we do it effectively? Here are a few items to think about next time you interact with the equipment owners:

1. Bring up maintenance early—Don’t wait until the system fails. During the installation phase, explain NFPA 70B requirements and point to the manufacturer’s schedule. Make sure that the new owner knows that maintenance must be performed before you hand over the keys.
2. Tie it to 70E compliance—Make owners aware that without documented maintenance, electrical safety in their facility is an uphill battle. Their equipment doesn’t meet the definition of normal operating condition, incident energy values might be different than estimated and unexpected failure will be on the horizon. That exposes everyone to greater risk.
3. Provide clear documentation—When turning over a project, include as-builts and maintenance guidelines, manufacturer references and suggested EMP outlines. Provide the road map for success for them so all they have to do is put it into practice.
4. Offer service agreements—Position your company as the ongoing partner that can help them meet their obligations and keep their systems safe.
5. Train your people to speak up—Every technician should know how to explain the maintenance process and how it ties directly to safety. Empower employees to stop work if they see additional danger from lack of maintenance.
6. Structure the conversation in a way that takes maintenance out of the category of an optional expense and put it where it belongs: essential for safety, reliability and compliance.

I’ve seen the aftermath of equipment failures that trace back to neglect. Switchgear rooms blackened by fire. Burned-up breakers that never opened. Workers who walked away with injuries they’ll carry for life. The common denominator is often the same: the equipment wasn’t maintained. Codes and standards are on our side. The manufacturers are on our side. The incident data is on our side. But all of it means nothing if equipment owners don’t understand their responsibility.

Educating building owners on maintenance is not a sales pitch, it’s a moral obligation. We aren’t just selling service agreements. We are protecting lives. We are ensuring our own technicians can perform their jobs under the safest possible conditions. And yes, along the way, we’re helping owners avoid costly downtime and keep their operations running smoothly.

But safety is always the anchor. NFPA 70B gives us the standard. NFPA 70E reminds us that the condition of maintenance is part of every risk assessment. 

The reality of our trade reminds us that, sooner or later, we’ll be standing in front of that gear again. When that day comes, I want all technicians to have the best possible chance of going home safely. And that means I will never stop educating owners about the importance of electrical equipment maintenance and compliance with NFPA 70B and manufacturer’s recommendations. 

You never know when the person standing in front of a dangerous piece of electrical equipment will be someone you care about. We know the cost all too well. It is high time we invested in laying the foundation for electrical safety in the workplace.

Until next time, stay safe and remember to always test before you touch!  

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