As the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 70B standard transitions from a recommended practice to a binding standard, facilities of all sizes must reassess their approach to electrical maintenance. During a recent GEAPS Media Group webinar, Jason Aseniero, manager at Siemens, and Chris Allison, president of Explore Systems and Industry LLC, shared insights into how companies can align with the NFPA 70B standard for the electrical industry and explore the practical steps grain facilities can take to meet this standard to improve safety and reliability.

Modernizing Electrical Maintenance

More than 15 years ago, a PepsiCo manufacturing facility in Texas faced persistent and costly power quality issues. High harmonic distortion disrupted internal operations and even caused signal failures at nearby railroad crossings. Frequent voltage sags, often triggered by local weather, led to outages that impacted the plant’s productivity and reliability.

At the same time, the facility was expanding with a new process line, and the team had specified Siemens Sm@rtGear® for the new electrical infrastructure. That decision would prove pivotal – not only for resolving immediate challenges but also for laying the groundwork for a long-term modernization strategy that now supports compliance with NFPA 70B.

Diagnosing Hidden Electrical Issues

With Siemens Sm@rtGear® in place, plant personnel worked alongside Siemens engineers to monitor and analyze power quality in real time. The system quickly pinpointed the cause of the harmonic distortion: fixed capacitors installed upstream that were meant to power factor. Once those capacitors were removed, the harmonic problems were significantly reduced.

Sm@rtGear® also provided insight into voltage sags, enabling the utility partner to harden only the most vulnerable loads, rather than the entire 20-megawatt facility. This targeted approach dramatically reduced costs while improving power reliability.

The Sm@rtGear® platform revealed other benefits. With the existing infrastructure over 40 years old, unexplained breaker trips – especially on critical equipment like extruders – often led to 8-10 hours of downtime.

Every routine breaker replacement became an opportunity to install smart breakers, incrementally building a more intelligent, transparent system with minimal added cost. With diagnostic data, the team could immediately identify root causes, fine-tune trip settings, and prioritize upgrades.

Scaling Across the Facility

The value of Sm@rtGear® in the new process line prompted PepsiCo to expand coverage to the entire facility, spanning 12 substations and a mix of Siemens and legacy equipment. By retrofitting smart meters and integrating them into the Sm@rtGear® platform, the team created a centralized hub for monitoring system health – regardless of manufacturer or equipment age.

As the facility later doubled in size, a new greenfield site was built entirely with Sm@rtGear®. Standardizing on Siemens platform created consistent visibility, maintenance practices, and data analytics across the entire site.

The Rising Importance of NFPA 70B

In 2023, the NFPA elevated standard 70B – previously a set of recommended practices – to an enforceable standard. Compliance is now required by insurance carriers, safety regulators, and local authorities.

NFPA 70B mandates the development of a formal Electrical Maintenance Program (EMP). This program must unify preventive activities – like infrared scanning, arc flash assessments, and breaker testing – under a comprehensive, system-wide strategy. The goal is risk management: preserving equipment, protecting personnel, and ensuring operational continuity.

It’s no longer enough to perform inspections. Facilities must document how maintenance is planned, scheduled, executed, and reviewed in line with recognized standards.

Siemens Enables Compliance

Siemens Sm@rtGear® digital platform simplifies and streamlines compliance by providing centralized tools to manage, document, and optimize maintenance activities. It supports continuous monitoring and predictive maintenance, helping facilities reduce downtime and prevent failures.

Sm@rtGear® enables facilities to monitor this condition status in real time, helping prioritize high-risk assets and extend the lifespan of low-risk ones. This data-driven triage supports smarter use of maintenance budgets and is especially valuable for organizations with staffing challenges.

Key Capabilities and Benefits

Sm@rtGear® includes a suite of features that directly support NFPA 70B compliance:

  • A real-time compliance dashboard through the Siemens Edge app, which alerts users to upcoming inspections and centralizes reports.
  • Digital storage for manuals, drawings, inspection logs, and other critical documentation.
  • Integration with Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices for automated data collection and performance tracking. Even non-IoT legacy equipment can be included through manual reporting and planning tools, supporting long-term modernization strategies.
  • Data is managed through Siemens industrial edge technology and securely stored in the cloud, enabling global visibility and control from a single dashboard.
  • Ultimately, Siemens transforms NFPA 70B compliance into a strategic opportunity – helping facilities move from reactive maintenance toward predictive, proactive, and performance-driven infrastructure management.