Of all the systems in a commercial building, electrical infrastructure may be the one most often left to a reactive approach, addressed only after an outage, a tripped main, or a safety incident forces the issue. For years that was common practice. As of 2023, it’s no longer considered sufficient. The National Fire Protection Association elevated NFPA 70B, the Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, from a recommended practice to a standard, signaling a clear shift in expectations for facility owners.
Why the Change Matters to You
Under NFPA 70B, electrical maintenance is no longer just a technical task buried in the engineering department, it’s a core part of operational strategy, directly tied to performance, risk, and cost. Unplanned electrical downtime doesn’t stop at the equipment; it disrupts tenant operations, delays production, raises safety concerns, and in continuously operating facilities can have outsized consequences from even a brief interruption. A documented Electrical Maintenance Program is increasingly what insurers, auditors, and risk managers expect to see.
The Safety Case is Stark
Electrical distribution systems rank among the leading causes of fires in buildings, and a large share of those failures, by one analysis, as much as 77%, could be mitigated through a preventative maintenance program. Even a minor electrical failure can result in six or more hours of interruption, with the financial loss that implies. Arc flash and shock hazards add a human dimension that no operations leader can responsibly ignore. Proactive maintenance, thermographic scanning to find overheating connections, torque checks on hardware, breaker exercising, grounding verification, is how those risks get caught before they become incidents.
2023
NFPA 70B becomes a Standard
77%
of electrical failures are preventable
12 -18%
Over 10 million reactive (DOE)
The Financial Case is Just as Clear
The U.S. Department of Energy notes that preventive maintenance programs can reduce maintenance costs by 12 –18% compared to reactive approaches. Layer in avoided emergency call-out premiums, extended equipment life, and the deferral of major capital replacements, and the return on a structured program compounds quickly. Regular cleaning and inspection alone can push back the replacement timeline on panels and distribution equipment by years.
The Benchmark to Surpass
A compliant, effective electrical program starts with a customized plan that inventories your systems and assesses their condition, then sets inspection and service intervals accordingly, NFPA 70B’s 2023 edition introduced condition-based intervals, so the healthier and better-monitored a system is, the more those intervals can be safely spaced. From there it layers in predictive technologies like infrared thermography and ultrasonic testing, expert service by qualified technicians, proactive correction of deficiencies, and complete documentation for audits and compliance reviews.
This is where the integrated MEP+ model earns its keep. Electrical systems power the mechanical equipment covered in the first post of this series and the pumps and controls that run your plumbing and automation systems. When the same partner maintains all of them, system interactions get spotted early and service gaps close. Kelso Building Services delivers electrical work as one coordinated discipline within its MEP+ approach, combining mechanical, electrical, and plumbing expertise under one team so facilities aren’t stitching together separate vendors for systems that are physically and operationally intertwined. For multi-site organizations, that means consistent standards, centralized coordination, and accountability across every location.
With NFPA 70B now a standard, a documented electrical preventative maintenance program has moved from “good practice” to operational necessity. It protects your people, your uptime, and your compliance posture, and it does so at a lower total cost than waiting for something to fail.
If it’s been a while since your electrical infrastructure was formally assessed, a Kelso Building Services Free Facility Assessment is a practical way to understand your current condition and build a plan that meets today’s standards.
REFERENCES
1. NFPA — NFPA 70B Standard Development. https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-70b-standard-development/70b
2. Buildings.com — The Power of Preventive Maintenance: Meeting New NFPA 70B Requirements (citing U.S. Department of Energy). https://www.buildings.com/building-systems-om/maintenance/article/55372402/
3. ISG — Ensuring Electrical Safety Through New Mandates: NFPA 70B Compliant Maintenance Programs (citing U.S. Fire Administration). https://www.isginc.com/news/ensuring-electrical-safety-the-role-of-nfpa-70b-compliant-maintenance-programs
4. Mark III Construction — What NFPA 70B Means for Compliance. https://mark-three.com/nfpa-70b/
5. Qmerit — NFPA 70B Compliance for Commercial Buildings; What Is Preventive Maintenance? https://qmerit.com/blog/nfpa-70b-compliance-for-commercial-buildings/
6. Kelso Building Services — MEP+ Service Solutions. https://kelsobuildingservices.com/
