From Recommended Practice to Standard: What NFPA 70B Means for Compliance  

If you’re not familiar with an Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP), it’s essentially a documented plan for proactively inspecting, testing, monitoring, analyzing, and maintaining electrical equipment. Before January 16, 2023, when the latest edition of NFPA 70B, Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, took effect, the design and implementation of an EMP was largely discretionary. Now, the standard establishes enforceable requirements for how electrical equipment must be maintained.

The importance of these requirements becomes clear when you look at the data. In 2023, an estimated 7,400 nonresidential building fires were caused by electrical malfunctions in the United States, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. These fires represented about 6.7% of the estimated 110,000 total nonresidential building fires that year. Looking deeper, NFPA data from the 2016-2020 period shows that electrical distribution and lighting equipment were involved in 24% of structure fires at industrial sites. More broadly, electrical or lighting failures contributed to 20% of these fires, which resulted in 17% of the property damage and 9% of civilian injuries

To help reduce these risks, the NFPA develops and maintains key safety standards, including NFPA 70 — the National Electrical Code (NEC), NFPA 70E — the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, and the newest addition, NFPA 70B — the Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance. Together, these three documents form the NFPA 70 Series Standards.

Unlike the state-adopted National Electrical Code (NEC), NFPA 70B is not a code and is not directly mandated by law. Similar to NFPA 70E, it only becomes legally enforceable when adopted by a jurisdiction, incorporated into regulations, or required by contracts or insurers. In practice, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors frequently reference NFPA 70E when evaluating electrical safety programs and may also cite NFPA 70B as evidence of recognized best practices for equipment maintenance. Facilities can face citations under the General Duty Clause if they fail to follow these established standards, even if the NFPA language itself is not written into regulations.

If you’re unsure where your facility stands under the new standard, M3 Service has distilled NFPA 70B into the essentials you actually need to know.

Overview

NFPA 70B — Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance — published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), gives you a detailed framework for building and running an Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP). It spells out requirements for maintaining equipment such as transformers, motors, panelboards, circuit breakers, cables, protective devices, etc. You’ll also find testing procedures, recommended maintenance intervals, and performance benchmarks you’re expected to follow to keep systems safe and reliable.

6 Key Requirements

The 2023 edition of NFPA 70B introduced a broad set of enforceable requirements. To give you a head start, we’ve highlighted the six changes that will have the biggest impact on your compliance obligations under the new NFPA 70B Standard. Let’s break each one down:

1. Maintenance Intervals. The standard specifies which maintenance procedures to perform and how often. Tasks are broken out by product type based on an equipment condition assessment (ECA). The schedule can be as often as once a month or as far apart as every five years, depending on the type and condition of the equipment.
2. Equipment Condition Assessment. An Equipment Condition Assessment (ECA) is a way to decide the maintenance intervals discussed above, based on risk. It looks at three factors:

• • Equipment’s physical condition
  • Criticality
  • Operating environment

3. Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP): Think of your EMP as the core of NFPA 70B and the foundation of systematic electrical system maintenance. A well-structured EMP ensures that all your equipment is maintained safely and reliably. By documenting procedures, assessing equipment condition, assigning qualified personnel, and regularly reviewing and improving the program, you can reduce risks, prevent failures, and maintain operational reliability.
4. Field Testing and Test Methods. These tests cover hands-on testing of individual electrical equipment to verify condition and performance. They fall into four categories:

• • Category 1 – Basic checks you can do while the equipment is running
  • Category 1A – More detailed checks while the equipment is running
  • Category 2 – Basic checks done with the equipment shut down
  • Category 2A – More advanced checks with the equipment shut down

5. System Study Intervals: System studies are engineering analyses of your entire electrical system, not just individual equipment. The standard requires these studies at least every five years to confirm your system is safe, works as intended, and is accurately documented. These include checks like:

• • Calculating how much fault current the system could produce in a short circuit
  • Making sure protective devices work in conjunction so the right one shuts off during a problem
  • Reviewing arc-flash hazards to protect workers

6. Infrared Thermography. Infrared (IR) thermography is like taking a heat picture of your electrical equipment. Using an IR camera, you can identify hot spots caused by loose connections, overloaded parts, or components that are starting to wear out. Finding these problems early helps you fix them before equipment fails or an arc flash incident occurs.

M3 Service offers infrared thermographic scanning that aligns with NFPA 70B requirements, providing the thermal imaging capabilities needed to identify potential issues during routine maintenance cycles and support overall facility compliance efforts.

5 Ways Mark III Can Help You with NFPA 70B Compliance

At Mark III, our goal is to help you reduce the risk of equipment failure and keep your systems running safely and reliably, all while staying compliant with NFPA 70B.

Here’s how we support your compliance efforts:

1. Create a Customized Electrical Preventive Maintenance Program – We assess your facility and develop a tailored maintenance program that meets NFPA 70B requirements while optimizing your budget and minimizing downtime.
2. Implement Continuous Monitoring and Predictive Technologies – Our advanced monitoring solutions, such as infrared thermographic scanning and ultrasonic testing, detect issues before they become costly failures or compliance violations.
3. Perform Expert Maintenance Services – Our certified electrical technicians handle all maintenance activities per NFPA 70B standards, from routine inspections to emergency repairs, with complete documentation.
4. Address Deficiencies Proactively – We provide smart, practical solutions and action plans to get you back on track efficiently.
5. Provide Ongoing Technical Support – Our preventive maintenance packages include regular reviews, technical consultation, and emergency support throughout your equipment’s lifecycle.

Get Started Today on Your Compliance Journey

If your facility doesn’t yet have a comprehensive Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP), our experts can provide an immediate, tailored solution. We offer a full EMP designed to meet NFPA 70B and other applicable standards, ensuring both safety and regulatory compliance.

Our team of electrical maintenance professionals is ready to assess your facility and answer your questions. Reach out via the form below or call us directly to start protecting your equipment and workforce.

Want real-world electrical tips? Check out this short guide where M3 Service shares six electrical questions our customers ask most frequently. It covers everything from adding outlets and diagnosing breakers to lighting upgrades and cost-saving advice. Read it now for practical insights you can use today.