You might find this shocking: The importance of electrical system maintenance
There is something inexorable about the decline of conditions in any facility when maintenance is foregone due to budgetary constraints, resource prioritization, or a capital planning process that results in infrastructure considerations falling victim to the latest “sexy” diagnostic technology (which doesn’t work so well if your electrical infrastructure is falling further behind). One of the foundational elements of any utility systems inspection, testing & maintenance process is the use of infrared thermography inspection for ensuring that all electrical systems are being maintained properly. One the peculiarities about electrical connections is that if there’s a problem, it’s not always visible to the naked eye. If you want to get a sense of what might be hidden from view during regular rounding, EC&M recently posted an article (including slides!) about the importance of thermography. Interestingly enough, from a future compliance standpoint, NFPA 70B Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance requires infrared thermography for “all equipment” and identifies the cadence for this inspection as either every six months or every 12 months, depending on an assessment of the condition of the equipment. At the moment, NFPA 70B is not an officially referenced standard vis-à-vis the 2012 Life Safety Code®, as NFPA 70B was not implemented as an official NFPA standard until 2023. But it seems likely that the next iteration of the Life Safety Code will include recognition of NFPA 70B in compliance circles. So, infrared thermography isn’t a requirement just yet, but there’s no reason to think that conversations surrounding your ongoing inspection, testing & maintenance of electrical systems might not include provisional periodic thermographic inspections.
Anything that gets as hot as some of these connections can would have to be considered a significant risk, and keeping things cool, especially when it comes to your electrical systems, will definitely give you peace of mind.
About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Chartis Group. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is an advisory board member for Accreditation and Quality Compliance Center. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.