Electrical Maintenance Programs for Commercial Properties

An Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP) is a documented framework for inspecting, testing, servicing, and maintaining a property's electrical equipment based on its condition, criticality, operating environment, and applicable standards.
 

For commercial property owners and managers, an effective EMP moves electrical maintenance away from a purely reactive approach, such as waiting for equipment to fail, and toward preventive and condition-based maintenance designed to identify deterioration before it results in an outage, electrical fire, equipment damage, or costly emergency repair.
 

This approach can help property teams improve electrical reliability, prioritize maintenance and capital expenditures, extend equipment life, protect tenants and employees, and maintain better documentation of the property's electrical condition.
 

The 2023 edition of NFPA 70B, Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, marked an important change for commercial facilities: NFPA 70B transitioned from a recommended practice to a standard and establishes requirements for developing and implementing an Electrical Maintenance Program.
 

Rather than treating electrical maintenance as an occasional response to equipment problems, NFPA 70B provides a framework for maintaining electrical equipment based on factors such as equipment condition, criticality, operating environment, maintenance history, and manufacturer recommendations.
 

A comprehensive Electrical Maintenance Program may include:
 

• An inventory of electrical equipment and critical assets

• Documented equipment condition assessments

• Defined inspection, testing, and maintenance procedures

• Infrared thermography and other condition-monitoring techniques

• Appropriate maintenance intervals based on equipment type and condition

• Documentation of deficiencies and corrective actions

• Maintenance records that allow equipment condition to be tracked over time