Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

Ric Bryant, PE, CMRP

Fluor
100 Fluor Daniel Dr., Greenville, SC, USA, 29607
Phone: 864-281-5079
Email: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

It should be common knowledge that electrical systems and equipment are the most critical
assets at most facilities, and in most industries. However, electrical assets are often
underemphasized in reliability and maintenance programs. This can be due to many factors,
such as safety concerns, maintenance availability and equipment access, but it can often be
attributed to a simple lack of understanding and awareness. It is the intent of this paper to
remind readers that the safety and functional criticality of electrical systems demand the proper
application of reliability and maintenance Best Practices, and to outline a proven and cost
effective methodology utilizing industry standards and Reliability Engineering principles.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY

Any discussion on electrical equipment reliability and maintenance must start with
acknowledgement of the associated safety hazards, and the standards that govern working around
these systems.

Every organization must have a comprehensive Electrical Safety Program tailored to the level of
exposure of personnel to potential electrical hazards. General electrical safety awareness is
always required, but a plant intent on self-performing maintenance and testing of their electrical
systems will require specialized training and qualifications of its electrical personnel. Even if
electrical maintenance is to be outsourced, plant electrical personnel will be required to provide
significant support such as Lockout-Tagout, and therefore require special qualifications. All
personnel involved with the design, operation or maintenance of electrical systems must have
access to, and be completely trained in the electrical safety standards, specifications and policies
governing their position, company and industry. See References section for common industry
safety standards and regulations.

Electrical safety in the US is regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration
(OSHA) through OSHA 29 CFR-1910 Subpart S. This regulation, in conjunction with other
industry standards (see References), sets forth the numerous responsibilities and a compliance
path forward for employers. This requires every organization to have dedicated, highly
knowledgeable electrical safety leaders, tasked with properly complying with the regulations, as
well as implementing proper safety training and awareness, and general good practices.
 Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

Arc-Flash
While it is the intent of this paper to only touch upon the safety aspects of electrical equipment,
arc-flash hazards merit extra emphasis in any discussion. In recent years, workplace safety
regulations have focused heavily on ensuring personnel are protected from the release of thermal
energy during an electrical failure event resulting in an arc-flash. Areas in close proximity to
exposed electrical circuits must be analyzed, and quantified as to their level of hazard, in order to
set appropriate work restrictions and determine proper personal protective equipment (PPE).

Section 5(a)(1) of the OSHA Act of 1970 states that employers "shall furnish to each of his
employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that
are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees". This clause,
among others, is interpreted to give OSHA the authority to enforce arc-flash regulations in the
US. This paper does not intend to establish any set rules for electrical safety design, training or
qualifications, but will emphasize the need for supervisory safety personnel to have full
understanding in regards to arc-flash requirements and OSHA compliance. NFPA 70E
(Reference 4) and IEEE Std 1584, with Amendments 1 and 2 (References 5-7), provide
techniques for determining arc-flash hazard boundaries, and guidance for labeling and
appropriate PPE.
For Arc-Flash - Learn It, Label It and Live It

RELIABILITY
Risk
As with all technical discussions, shared consensus on terminology is essential. Reliability
should be defined as “the probability that a system or component will perform its intended
function, either at any particular instant at which it is required or for a planned length of time,
and under specified conditions.” It is a key requirement for the successful operation of any
production facility that its assets achieve an appropriate level of reliability to support their
functions within a predetermined business plan. It important to note that, whether readily
apparent or not, the business decision-making process is based on risk. The simple equation to
quantify risk (below) illustrates how reliability factors into most business planning, since
reliability equates to probability through its definition.

RISK = PROBABILITY x CONSEQUENCE

Therefore, the requirement for reliability reaches across every department within an
organization, from safety, environmental, operations and maintenance, to basic business
processes. This is especially critical to systems serving a safety-related function, in which
reliability is an absolute mandatory requirement.

Electrical Equipment Criticality

A proper criticality assessment performed for a production facility, factoring in safety, downtime
and repair costs, should rank the electrical power and distribution system very close to the
highest, if not the highest. Electrical failures often result in fires and present extreme safety
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 Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

hazards. They can shut down entire plants, or at least major areas, and are costly and time-
consuming to repair. When evaluating the potential consequences of failure, per a proper
criticality assessment, electrical systems logically rank as a top priority. Ironically, even with the
inherently high level of criticality, there is often a misguided perception of stability associated
with electrical equipment, resulting in a lack of proper attention. This is likely due to electrical
equipment lacking in visible motion, and showing virtually no indication of changing conditions.
Degenerative fluctuations in load circuits, and even the onset of failures are not readily evident to
personnel, especially using the five senses. These circumstances, along with the complexities
and costs of shutting down, often result in electrical systems not getting the consideration they
deserve. This puts a high premium on a fixed schedule of testing and inspection techniques,
especially those that look into spectrums beyond the five senses, and can be performed with
minimal disruption to the associated systems.

RELIABILITY PROGRAM FUNDAMENTALS

Electrical equipment reliability must be built upon a foundation of a sound, effective reliability
program. The following functional elements outline proven Best Practices in establishing and
sustaining an effective reliability program.

Upfront Design to Accommodate Maintenance and Operations

The first line of defense against failure is to design reliability into the electrical systems upfront.
Capacity planning, Life Cycle Cost Analyses, and Reliability and Maintainability Modeling
allow engineers to prevent many potential problems and tune the design more to the operational
requirements and life cycle of the plant. Detailed modeling and statistical analysis highlight
focus areas, and allow for more precise balancing of costs and benefits, as well as effective use
of options such as redundancy, spare parts optimization, and accessibility improvements. Also,
design teams for upgrades or expansions to existing facilities should always take advantage of
the opportunity to consider potential improvements to the maintenance and accessibility of
electrical systems. The Reliability Engineers must be a part of any design team.

Proper Commissioning and Start-Up

It is absolutely essential that new or overhauled systems be properly commissioned and started
up per pre-engineered execution plans. These plans must include all pre-operational, condition
and testing requirements considered necessary to best ensure safe and reliable operation of the
subject systems. It is important to note that these plans should also include spares and material
requirements, documentation turnover, and vigorous performance and condition verification
techniques. Best practice includes determination and performance of acceptance testing and
acquisition of essential baseline test data.

Optimized Turnarounds/Overhauls
Careful pre-planning, scheduling and prioritization of work in advance of turnarounds and
overhauls will ensure that maintenance, and reliability improvement actions are completed, and
at minimum cost, since the downtime is planned. If your plant utilizes scheduled turnarounds, it
is recommended that condition monitoring tasks be heavily scheduled in the weeks leading up to
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 Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

the downtime. This provides an informative and updated snapshot of equipment condition and
corrective needs, allowing planners to optimize the downtime by planning/scheduling shutdown
tasks that the equipment has “told” them is necessary.

Reliability Engineered Equipment Maintenance Program

The following elements and practices are proven in implementing and sustaining a
comprehensive Reliability Engineered Equipment Maintenance Program that is effective,
efficient and flexible.

a. Safety-First Culture
As discussed earlier, safety is the highest priority for maintaining electrical equipment reliability.
It must also be the highest priority in developing and implementing the program. A thorough
scrutinizing of all safety aspects is required during development of program elements, and during
execution of the maintenance activities. All work must undergo a safety analysis prior to
execution.

b. Skilled Reliability Engineers

Reliability Engineers will drive any reliability process. It is necessary to hire, train and empower
dynamic Electrical Reliability Engineers. In addition to their technical disciplines, they must be
skilled in applying Reliability Engineering and economic principles. They will be required to
perform risk-based cost-benefit analyses, communicate effectively with management, and
implement step change improvement initiatives. And they will require leadership and strong
problem solving skills, and be highly knowledgeable in the operations of the plant. It is highly
beneficial for the Reliability Engineers to have in-depth expertise on the plant’s computerized
maintenance management system (CMMS).

c. Management Support
Success or failure of any improvement effort starts at the top levels of the organization. As
always, a firm, long-term commitment from upper management decision-makers is critical. It is
therefore essential that reliability personnel ensure that Management understands the seriousness
of the risks associated with electrical equipment failure, and the potential implications to
personnel and production. This is a good place for Reliability Engineers to step away from the
Operations and Maintenance world, and initiate discussions and present scenarios in terms of
hazards analysis, risk management, regulatory requirements, and cost avoidance. The potential
for catastrophic losses in personnel safety and operating costs will definitely get Management’s
attention, but it will be upon the Reliability Engineers to present the economics and Business
Case, including the value of the pending investments and the risks of inaction.

d. Failure Intolerance
Since reliability is the opposite of failure, it is essential to develop and maintain a culture of
failure intolerance throughout the organization. From a reliability point of view, culture can be
thought of as how a group of people perceive and deal with their problems. To maintain safe and
reliable functioning of any organization, its culture cannot become tolerant of underachievement
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 Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

and apathetic to system and process failures. When considering electrical systems, a culture
tolerant of failures is a significant safety, as well as process hazard. To promote a culture that is
highly conscientious of reliability, and intent on performing at its best, it will be necessary to
align and incentivize the entire workforce to better support a proactive approach to failure
avoidance/mitigation. The key is training and awareness.

e. Failure Elimination and Response Process

A failure-intolerant culture is absolutely critical, but it is only one requirement of the process.
Eliminating significant failures also requires that an organization develop, communicate and
implement reliability practices that are proven, achievable and sustainable. Primary among these
practices are a Performance Monitoring Program and an effective Root Cause Failure Analysis
(RCFA) process that properly sense and react to failures or loss events. Performance Monitoring
and the RCFA procedure must be set up with triggering thresholds upon which to act, and a
formal procedure to follow. The Reliability Engineers should lead the RCFA process. Proper
RCFA will drive the analysis down to identification of the root causes of the problem, and from
there, formulate and implement solutions. It is important that the reliability and work control
processes ensure follow-through with implementation of solutions. It should also be confirmed
that performance indicators are adequate to monitor effectiveness.

To support failure elimination and RCFA, it is important that the CMMS and work control
process be set up to record equipment failures and history. This requirement will keep the
Reliability Engineers informed of how well the process is working, and usually requires strict
monitoring and enforcement to achieve accurate and meaningful data.

f. Reliability-Based Electrical Equipment Maintenance Program

Requirements of a Reliability-Based Electrical Equipment Maintenance Program:
1. Consensus on goals and objectives for electrical equipment maintenance and reliability
2. Clear understanding of present state conditions and resources
3. Skilled and knowledgeable personnel to lead and implement the program
4. Essential electrical drawings and documentation in place, updated and accessible,
including manufacturer’s service instructions
5. Comprehensive Electrical Safety Program in place and personnel trained
6. Studies conducted for electrical short-circuit and coordination, and reliability and
maintainability
7. Emergency Response Procedures in place
8. Equipment maintenance and testing requirements developed using an RCM-based
approach (see following)
9. All necessary tools, test equipment, materials and PPE identified, in place and maintained
10. Critical spare parts identified and available as required
11. Electrical equipment clearly tagged and labeled per safety and company requirements
12. Performance monitoring and reporting in place, including failure history
13. Maintenance program integrated into the work process control system
14. System to ensure record keeping is fit for purpose

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 Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

Fortunately, electrical systems and equipment perform basically the same functions in varying
production environments. So there are electrical industry maintenance standards available that
can form the basis of electrical maintenance strategies. Proven industry maintenance standards
are listed in the References section. It will still be necessary to conduct some Risk/Reliability-
Based Analyses to integrate the specific operational and environmental factors of the subject
plant into the final program, especially for high priority equipment. A methodology that has
proven both technically sound and cost effective is the application of Reliability-Centered
Maintenance (RCM) via a streamlined approach. It is recommended to utilize electrical industry
maintenance standards and manufacturer’s recommendations as the program basis, and
customize to individual plant applications and environments via a streamlined RCM process.
Application of the streamlined approach still addresses “the Seven Basic Questions” of RCM15),
but relies on the collective experiences of the industry to establish the foundational elements for
the maintenance program. Note that due to complexity or criticality, some systems may require
performance of a full RCM analysis. See Figure 1 for a graphical representation of the
Reliability-Based Maintenance Process, and its functional relationships within the overall
Reliability Process. Refer to reference 15 for definitions on terminology and an in-depth
description of the RCM process.

Reliability Training

Systems/Equipment
Operations
Prioritization

Streamlined RCM

Maintenance Reliability Root Cause Failure

Strategies Engineering Analysis Analysis Process

Failure Modes & Performance Monitoring

Effects Analysis Metrics

Prevention/Mitigation
Maintenance Events
Analysis

Maintenance Plan Event Module Work Process Control

PM Module

Materials
Inventory Module
Management

CMMS

Corrective
Engineering

Figure 1 - Reliability-Based Maintenance Process

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 Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

Summary of the streamlined RCM approach:

1. Equipment criticality assessment to set priorities and determine levels of analysis
2. Reliability Analysis to evaluate risk factors, such as safety, productivity, maintainability, and
cost versus benefits
3. Application of industry and manufacturer recommended maintenance strategies
4. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to assess potential failure modes, causes and
consequences to effectively customize the program to the individual site
5. Prevention/Mitigation Analysis to prescribe maintenance tasks to address potential failures
a. Predictive (Condition-Based) Maintenance (PdM) Tasking
b. Preventive (Time-Based) Maintenance (PM) Tasking
c. Identify Run-to-Fail Criteria
d. Failure Mitigation or Default Tasking
6. Re-engineering, Re-design, or Corrective Actions.

ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE AND TESTING TECHNIQUES

Electrical Systems and Equipment Failure

Electrical equipment has multiple failure modes upon which maintenance tasks should be
assigned to prevent, predict, or mitigate. Table 1 provides a listing of the most common
electrical failure modes and primary causes.

FAILURE MODES PRIMARY CAUSES

Moisture Aging/Wear
Insulation System Failure Contamination Damage
Overheating/Overload Induced Failure
Looseness Vibration
Electrical Contact Failure
Degradation/Corrosion Damage
Improper Operation Circuit Failure
Failure to Operate
Inadequate Design Mechanism Failure
Damage Workmanship
Induced Failure
Environmmental Improper Operation

Table 1: Electrical Equipment Failure Modes

These specific modes of failure dictate the specialized maintenance and testing techniques for
electrical equipment reliability. The industry maintenance and testing standards listed as
references 9 through 14, along with manufacturer’s recommendations should serve as guidance
when analyzing individual systems and prescribing maintenance and testing. Table 2 provides
some general maintenance strategies for common electrical equipment/systems, derived from
industry standards and experience.

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 Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

General Electrical Maintenance and Testing Strategies General Electrical Maintenance and Testing Strategies
Equipment Maintenance/Test Type Condition Equipment Maintenance/Test Type Condition
Visual Inspection PM/PdM Operating Visual Inspection PM/PdM Operating
Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown
Electrical Inspection PM Shutdown Electrical Inspection PM Shutdown
General Switchgear Insulation System Testing Insulation System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown
PM/PdM Shutdown
Circuit Testing PM/PdM Shutdown
and Switchboard Contact Resistance Check/Measure PM Shutdown
General Rotating General Cleaning PM Shutdown
Assemblies Mechanism Cleaning and Lubrication PM Shutdown Electrical Equipment Lubrication PM Shutdown
Function Testing PM Operating Electrical Testing PM Operating
Infrared Thermographic Inspection PdM Operating Vibration Analysis PdM Operating
Ultrasound Inspection PdM Operating Infrared Thermographic Inspection PdM Operating
Visual Inspection PM/PdM Operating Ultrasound Inspection PdM Operating
Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown Lubricant Analysis PdM Operating
Electrical Inspection PM Shutdown Visual Inspection PM/PdM Operating
General Insulation System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown
Transformers (Dry General Cleaning PM Shutdown Electrical Inspection PM Shutdown
and Oil-Filled) Transformer Turns-Ratio Test PM Operating Insulation System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown
Motor Control
Infrared Thermographic Inspection PdM Operating Contact Resistance Check/Measure PM Shutdown
Centers
Oil Analysis (Oil-Filled) PdM Operating Mechanism Cleaning and Lubrication PM Shutdown
Function Testing PM Operating
Fault Gas Analysis (Oil-Filled) PdM Operating
Infrared Thermographic Inspection PdM Operating
Visual Inspection PM/PdM Operating Ultrasound Inspection PdM Operating
Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown Visual Inspection PM Operating
General Cable General Grounding
Insulation System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown Mechanical Inspection PM Operating
Systems Systems
Contact Resistance Check/Measure PM Shutdown Grounding System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown
Infrared Thermographic Inspection PdM Operating
Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown
Visual Inspection PM/PdM Operating Electrical Inspection PM Shutdown
Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown Insulation System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown
Ground Fault
Electrical Inspection PM Shutdown Contact Resistance Check/Measure PM Shutdown
Protection Systems
Insulation System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown Mechanism Cleaning and Lubrication PM Shutdown
General Switches Function/Trip Testing PM Shutdown
Mechanism Cleaning and Lubrication PM Shutdown
(Air and Oil-Filled) Infrared Thermographic Inspection PdM Operating
Function Testing PM Operating
Infrared Thermographic Inspection PdM Operating General Emergency Visual Inspection PM/PdM Operating
Ultrasound Inspection PdM Operating Power Systems Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown
Oil Analysis (Oil-Filled) PdM Operating (Uninterruptible Electrical Inspection PM Shutdown
Power Supplies, Insulation System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown
Visual Inspection PM/PdM Operating Emergency Diesel General Cleaning PM Shutdown
Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown Generators, Lubrication (EDG) PM Shutdown
Electrical Inspection PM Shutdown Automatic Transfer Performance Testing PM Operating
Insulation System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown Switches) Vibration Analysis (EDG) PdM Operating
General Circuit Contact Resistance Check/Measure PM Shutdown
Visual Inspection PM/PdM Operating
Breakers (Air and Mechanism Cleaning and Lubrication PM Shutdown Mechanical Inspection PM Shutdown
Oil-Flled) Function/Trip Testing PM Operating Electrical Inspection PM Shutdown
Test Auxiliary Devices PM Operating General Battery
Insulation System Testing PM/PdM Shutdown
Infrared Thermographic Inspection PdM Operating Systems/Chargers
General Cleaning PM Shutdown
Ultrasound Inspection PdM Operating Electrical Testing PM Operating
Oil Analysis (Oil-Filled) PdM Operating Infrared Thermographic Inspection PdM Operating

Table 2: General Maintenance and Testing Strategies

Note that the standards set forth general maintenance requirements only. It is upon the
individual plant personnel to customize these recommended practices to their own facility’s
unique environment and processes (refer to Reliability-Based Maintenance Process earlier). The
following section provides details on common and proven testing methods.

As a general rule of thumb when determining maintenance electrical tasks, keep in mind these
simple statements from NFPA 70B:
“If it's insulation, KEEP IT CLEAN and KEEP IT DRY”, and
“If it's mechanical, KEEP IT SNUG and KEEP IT FRICTION FREE.”
And to this add KEEP AN EYE ON IT (PdM), for most systems.

Electrical Equipment Testing Practices

Several of the common and proven testing techniques are briefly discussed in Table 3, and
should be thoroughly studied prior to application. See references 9 through 14 for application
and testing details.
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 Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

Test Method Application Test/Measurement Notes

Infrared Inspection Overheating/overload PdM tool
Most electrical systems Contact failure Non-contact test
Inadequate lubrication Operating systems
Ultrasound Inspection Most electrical systems Contact failure/discharging PdM tool
Rotating equipment Alignment/lubrication Operating systems
Oil Analysis Oil-filled transformers, Dielectric condition PdM tool
switchgear/circuit breakers Failure indicators
Vibration Analysis Misalignment/Imbalance PdM tool
Rotating equipment
Worn bearings Operating systems
Insulation Resistance Resistance value of insulation PdM - Trend results
Dielectric Absorption Ratio All insulation systems Dielectric quality
Polarization Index Moisture/contamination
DC High Potential Test Dielectric quality/strength PdM - Trend results
Step Voltage Test All insulation systems Coil/winding faults Non-destructive test
Acceptance test/diagnostic tool
Power Factor Test Quality of insulation/dielectric Leakage current = overheat
HV transformer insulation
Dissipation Factor Test Real life stress Potential PdM benefits
systems
Power loss within insulation
AC High Potential Test Dielectric strength of insulation PdM - Not recommended
All insulation systems Go/No-Go test Destructive test
Acceptance test Quality check
Surge Comparison Test Coil/winding faults Diagnostic tool
Matched Insulation Systems
Acceptance test Adopted as PdM tool
Contact Resistance Testing High resistance connections Micro-ohmmeter
Switches and circuit breakers
Improper contact/degradation
Ground System Testing System integrity/condition Specialized test equipment
All grounding systems
Ground impedance
Motor Circuit Testing Motors Insulation/dielectric quality Specialized test equipment
Generators Contact problems

Table 3: Common Electrical Equipment Testing Methods

SUMMARY

In summary, to best ensure Electrical Equipment Reliability:

• Place the highest emphasis on electrical safety procedures and practices.
• Ensure a sound Reliability Program is in place.
• Utilize industry standards and practices to establish the base of the Electrical
Equipment Maintenance Program.
• Further refine the program using an RCM-based approach.
• Integrate the program into a comprehensive asset management and performance
monitoring program.

Electrical Maintenance and Testing requires a high level of skills, training and experience.

Do Not Work Alone

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 Best Practices in Electrical Equipment Reliability

KEYWORDS

Reliability, Failure Intolerance, Electrical Testing, Electrical Maintenance, Electrical Safety,

Insulation Failure, Culture, Reliability-Based Maintenance, Systematic Failure Elimination

REFERENCES
1)
Occupational Safety and Health Standards, 29CFR, Part 1910, Subpart S - Occupational
Safety and Health Standards
2)
Occupational Safety and Health Standards, 29CFR, Part 1926, Subpart K - Safety and
Health Regulations for Construction
3)
National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), IEEE
4)
NFPA 70E – Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace 2012
5)
IEEE Std 1584-2002 - IEEE Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations
6)
IEEE Std 1584a™-2004 - IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations -
Amendment 1
7)
IEEE Std 1584b™-2011 - IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations -
Amendment 2
8)
UGLY’S Electrical Safety and NFPA 70E 2012
9)
Paul Gill, Electrical Power Equipment Maintenance and Testing, 2nd edition, CRC
Press, Boca Raton, FL 2009
10)
NFPA 70 B – Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance 2010
11)
ANSI/NETA Standard for Maintenance Testing Specifications 2012
12)
IEEE 3006 Standards: Power Systems Reliability - derived from IEEE Std 493 (Gold
Book)
13)
IEEE 3007 Standards: Maintenance, Operations and Safety - derived from IEEE Std 902
(Yellow Book)
14)
IEEE Std 43-2000 - Recommended Practice for Testing Insulation Resistance of Rotating
Machinery
15)
John Moubray, Reliability-Centered Maintenance II, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford,
GB 1991

Page 10 of 10
 Equipment Reliability, Track 3
Best Practices in
Electrical Equipment Reliability

-Ric Bryant, PE, CMRP

Fluor
And the world was never the same
 Presentation Outline

1. Electrical Safety (Safety Part)

– Regulations and Standards
– Arc Flash
2. Reliability Best Practices (Reliability Part)
– Reliability and Risk
– Reliability Program Fundamentals
– Reliability Engineered Equipment Maintenance Program
3. Maintenance and Testing Practices (Electrical Part)
– Electrical Failure Modes
– Electrical Testing Methods
 Electrical Safety Statistics

Between 1992 and 2010*

• Over 5000 fatal industrial electrical injuries
• Almost 67,000 non-fatal industrial electrical
injuries involving lost time
• About 75% of fatalities were men between the
ages of 25 and 54

*Electrical Safety Foundation International

 Arc-Flash

Arc Flash - the result of a rapid release of energy due to an arcing

fault between a phase bus bar and another phase bus bar,
neutral or a ground. During an arc fault the air is the
conductor. Arc faults are generally limited to systems where
the bus voltage is in excess of 120 volts.
- John C. Pfeiffer, P.E.

Learn It, Label It

and Live It
 Electrical Safety References

General Electrical Safety and Arc Flash

• Occupational Safety and Health Standards, 29CFR, Part 1910, Subpart S -
Occupational Safety and Health Standards
• Occupational Safety and Health Standards, 29CFR, Part 1926, Subpart K -
Safety and Health Regulations for Construction
• National Electrical Safety Code
• NFPA 70E – Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace
• UGLY’S Electrical Safety and NFPA 70E
• IEEE Std 1584-2002 - IEEE Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard
Calculations
– IEEE Std 1584a™-2004 - Amendment 1
– IEEE Std 1584b™-2011 - Amendment 2
 Electrical Safety - Summary

• Exposure to electrical hazards will kill - Period

• Premium on electrical safety awareness, training
and enforcement
• Knowledge and compliance to regulations
• Highly skilled electrical craftsmen
• Zero tolerance

“We can shut down, but we can’t let people get hurt”

“Do Not Work Alone”

 Best Practices - Definition

For our purposes, Best Practices:

• Ensure safe, reliable and efficient functioning of
facility
• Are generally accepted and practiced across
industry
• Are in place to meet specific objectives
• Are practical, workable and generally
measureable
• Are open to continuous improvement
 Reliability and Risk

RELIABILITY - The Probability that a system or

component will perform its intended function,
either at any particular instant at which it is
required or for a planned length of time, and
under specified conditions

RISK = Probability x Consequence

 Risk Factors

• Personnel Safety
• Environmental Incidents
• Production Losses
• Quality Losses
• Collateral Damage
• Repair Costs
• Corporate Image
Now, consider the Criticality of Electrical
Systems
 How Do We Achieve Reliability?

Reliability Program Fundamentals

• Upfront Design to Accommodate O&M
• Proper Commissioning and Start-Up
• Optimized Turnarounds/Overhauls
• Reliability Engineered Equipment
Maintenance Program
 Reliability Engineered Equipment
Maintenance Program

• Safety-First Culture
• Skilled Reliability Engineers
• Management Support
• Failure Intolerance
• Failure Elimination and Response Process
• Reliability-Based Maintenance Program
 Reliability-Based Maintenance
Program

1. Consensus on goals and objectives for electrical equipment

maintenance and reliability
2. Clear understanding of present state conditions and resources
3. Skilled and knowledgeable personnel to lead and implement the
program
4. Essential electrical drawings and documentation in place, updated
and accessible, including manufacturer’s service instructions
5. Comprehensive Electrical Safety Program in place and personnel
trained
6. Studies conducted for electrical short-circuit and coordination,
and reliability and maintainability
7. Emergency Response Procedures in place
 Reliability-Based Maintenance
Program (ctnd)

8. Equipment maintenance and testing requirements

developed using an RCM-based approach (see following)
9. All necessary tools, test equipment, materials and PPE
identified, in place and maintained
10. Critical spare parts identified and available as required
11. Electrical equipment clearly tagged and labeled per safety
and company requirements
12. Performance monitoring and reporting in place, including
failure history
13. Maintenance program integrated into the work process
control system
14. System to ensure record keeping is fit for purpose
 Reliability-Based Maintenance Process
Reliability Training

Systems/Equipment
Operations
Prioritization

Streamlined RCM

Maintenance Reliability Root Cause Failure

Strategies Engineering Analysis Analysis Process

Failure Modes & Performance Monitoring

Effects Analysis Metrics

Prevention/Mitigation
Maintenance Events
Analysis

Maintenance Plan Event Module Work Process Control

PM Module

Materials
Inventory Module
Management

CMMS

Corrective
Engineering
 Summary of the Streamlined RCM
Approach
1. Equipment criticality assessment to set priorities and determine levels of
analysis
2. Reliability Analysis to evaluate risk factors, such as safety, productivity,
maintainability, and cost versus benefits
3. Application of industry and manufacturer recommended maintenance
strategies
4. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to assess potential failure
modes, causes and consequences to effectively customize the program
to the individual site
5. Prevention/Mitigation Analysis to prescribe maintenance tasks to
address potential failures
a. Predictive (Condition-Based) Maintenance (PdM) Tasking
b. Preventive (Time-Based) Maintenance (PM) Tasking
c. Identify Run-to-Fail Criteria
d. Failure Mitigation or Default Tasking
6. Re-engineering, Re-design, or Corrective Actions.
 Electrical Equipment Failure Modes

FAILURE MODES PRIMARY CAUSES

Moisture Aging/Wear
Insulation System Failure Contamination Damage
Overheating/Overload Induced Failure
Looseness Vibration
Electrical Contact Failure
Degradation/Corrosion Damage
Improper Operation Circuit Failure
Failure to Operate
Inadequate Design Mechanism Failure
Damage Workmanship
Induced Failure
Environmmental Improper Operation

“If it's insulation, KEEP IT CLEAN and KEEP IT DRY”, and

“If it's mechanical, KEEP IT SNUG and KEEP IT FRICTION FREE.” - NFPA 70B

To this add
For most systems, KEEP AN EYE ON IT (PdM) - RB
Predictive First -The P-F Curve
 Ultrasound and Infrared Inspections

• Non-Contact
• Non-Destructive
• Measures/Analyzes Noise and Temperatures
Outside Perceptual Ranges
• Electrical and Mechanical Equipment
• Safer and More Cost-Effective
– Estimated ROI - $4 per $1 invested *

* Maintenance Technology Magazine

19
 Ultrasound and Infrared Inspections

Ultrasound

Infrared Thermal Imaging

Ultrasound Inspections
Infrared Thermal Imaging

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 Other Common Test Methods
Test Method Application Test/Measurement Notes
Oil Analysis Oil-filled transformers, Dielectric condition PdM tool
switchgear/circuit breakers Failure indicators
Vibration Analysis Misalignment/Imbalance PdM tool
Rotating equipment
Worn bearings Operating systems
Insulation Resistance Resistance value of insulation PdM - Trend results
Dielectric Absorption Ratio All insulation systems Dielectric quality
Polarization Index Moisture/contamination
DC High Potential Test Dielectric quality/strength PdM - Trend results
Step Voltage Test All insulation systems Coil/winding faults Non-destructive test
Acceptance test/diagnostic tool
Power Factor Test Quality of insulation/dielectric Leakage current = overheat
HV transformer insulation
Dissipation Factor Test Real life stress Potential PdM benefits
systems
Power loss within insulation
AC High Potential Test Dielectric strength of insulation PdM - Not recommended
All insulation systems Go/No-Go test Destructive test
Acceptance test Quality check
Surge Comparison Test Coil/winding faults Diagnostic tool
Matched Insulation Systems
Acceptance test Adopted as PdM tool
Contact Resistance Testing High resistance connections Micro-ohmmeter
Switches and circuit breakers
Improper contact/degradation
Ground System Testing System integrity/condition Specialized test equipment
All grounding systems
Ground impedance
Motor Circuit Testing Motors Insulation/dielectric quality Specialized test equipment
Generators Contact problems
 In Summary

To best ensure Electrical Equipment Reliability:

• Place the highest emphasis on electrical safety
procedures and practices.
• Ensure a sound Reliability Program is in place.
• Utilize industry standards and practices to establish the
base of the Electrical Equipment Maintenance
Program.
• Further refine the program using an RCM-based
approach.
• Integrate the program into a comprehensive asset
management and performance monitoring program.