The Importance of Equipment Maintenance Plan for Electrical Power Systems
--
Have you ever wondered about the importance of equipment maintenance plan and why is it necessary in Electrical power systems?
A maintenance plan covers a facility’s routine maintenance, as well as the long term care of certain equipment or power systems inside of a facility.
According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association);
“Electrical equipment maintenance plan (EMP) is the practice of conducting routine inspections, tests, and the servicing of electrical equipment so that impending troubles can be detected and reduced or eliminated.”
INTRODUCTION TO EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE PLAN (EMP)
Electrical equipment malfunctions and failures are responsible for million dollar losses to facilities, industries and businesses worldwide. As an equipment starts to display signs of electrical aging, it should act as a trigger for the employer or owner to carry out preventive maintenance to avoid catastrophic failure.
The NFPA 70B provides general guidelines for the implementation of a useful maintenance plan by breaking it down into six major categories.
WHY IS AN EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE PLAN (EMP) REQUIRED?
All kinds of electrical equipment eventually begin to portray symptoms from aging. An effective maintenance plan can reduce the downtime of the facility by scheduling proper outages coinciding with routine maintenance activities. For the safety of the equipment as well as the personnel on site, OSHA recommends regular preventive maintenance for the equipment being operated under hazardous conditions.
POWER SYSTEMS STUDIES ROLE IN EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE PLAN
Electrical power systems studies are an integral part of an effective equipment maintenance program. They provide valuable information for the reliability assessment of the system. According to the NFPA 70B, they are divided into 5 separate categories.
Stay Sharp & Join our Mailing List!
Our surveys show that 90% of the people who join our blog have found the content valuable! Join today
CODES AND STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR EMP
An effective electrical equipment maintenance plan (EMP) should be in compliance with the latest industrial standards and guidelines which include but are not limited to the standards discussed here.
SURVEY, INSPECTION & ANALYSIS
Once the priority list has been finalized, the next step involves the surveying of the high priority items for identification of potential causes of concern.
All kinds of electrical equipment are required to be carefully inspected and decisions to be taken thereby. Physical condition, loading, operation within limits and the environmental conditions are some of the parameters which need to be analyzed during the survey process.
MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
The final step involves the implementation of corrective measures through scheduled maintenance activities and procedures. For each system operating under normal conditions, each discrete component as well as the connections between those components are required to have dedicated sets of procedures.
Effective and timely implementation of the maintenance procedures marks the culmination of the equipment maintenance plan.
About The Author
Abdur Rehman is a professional electrical engineer with more than eight years of experience working with equipment from 208V to 115kV in both the Utility and Industrial & Commercial space. He has a particular focus on Power Systems Protection & Engineering Studies.
Abdur Rehman is the CEO and co-founder of allumiax.com and creator of GeneralPAC by AllumiaX. He has been actively involved in various roles in the IEEE Seattle Section, IEEE PES Seattle, IEEE Region 6, and IEEE MGA.
