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What Your Facility Needs in Place To Comply With NFPA 70B

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 07:31:46 GMT

The NFPA 70B is the Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). And in 2023, they changed one element that matters more than any of the technical updates: it made electrical equipment maintenance enforceable.

If your building relies on gear like transformers or switchgear, but you aren't keeping a paper trail of your maintenance, it can put you in a tough spot with regulators and insurance companies.

Beyond the legal headache, you're also much more likely to experience a sudden breakdown because nobody was monitoring the hardware's condition.

With that in mind, our team at Blue Runner Switchgear put together this guide on what compliance looks like in practice for a facility.

What Changed in 2023 With the NFPA 70B Plan

For about four decades, NFPA 70B was a suggestion. A good one that well-run facilities follow, but it’s still optional. The 2023 update ended that. Now, insurers and regulators can hold you to it as an enforceable standard.

The facilities facing the highest risk aren't necessarily those skipping maintenance entirely. Instead, the danger lies in locations where work is being done but never recorded.

If maintenance isn't documented, it’s effectively invisible, and invisible efforts won’t protect a company when regulators or inspectors begin an investigation.

Your NFPA 70B Plan Checklist

Here’s a checklist you can use as a starting point to assess where your facility’s program stands:

Written Documentation Strategy

Ensure your facility has a living document that defines scope, responsibilities, intervals, and procedures. It should cover what’s maintained, who maintains it, how often, and what constitutes a pass or a flag.

Risk-Based Maintenance Intervals

One schedule doesn't fit every piece of equipment. The standard uses a criticality-based model—your main switchgear lineup, which takes the whole facility offline when it faults, needs tighter inspection cycles than a secondary panel serving non-critical loads.

Document the assets that fall into their respective category and why. That reasoning is part of what auditors look for.

Qualified Personnel and Third-Party Testing

Some tasks require outside expertise, including:

Commissioning after new installations.
Conducting post-fault verification after a breaker operation or a protective relay trip.
Testing aging gear that hasn't had documented work in years.

These are all tasks where NETA-certified acceptance and maintenance testing fit in.

Thermal Imaging on a Defined Schedule

A thermal scan catches developing hot spots, such as loose connections, overloaded circuits, and failing components, before they cause an unplanned outage or worse.

Thermal imaging should be part of any NFPA 70B-compliant program, not a one-time event.

Trending Data Across Inspection Cycles

A single test result tells you the condition of equipment at a moment in time. Trending data tells you whether it's getting better or worse. Contact resistance that's slowly climbing over three inspection cycles is a warning sign.

Without records, you'll never see it coming.

Complete, Retrievable Maintenance Records

Have all your paperwork ready to go, from test reports and infrared scans to general equipment history and any fixes you've made. If an inspector or your insurance company comes knocking and asks for proof, you need records that can withstand their scrutiny.

Clean Up Your Business's NFPA 70B Plan With Electrical Maintenance Services

If you're unsure where your facility’s current program stands, a maintenance audit is the practical first step. At Blue Runner Switchgear, we’ve been providing electrical maintenance services for more than 25 years, serving facilities across the United States of America, with our headquarters in Cave City, KY. We provide written reports with every service, so your program is always audit-ready.

Start with low- and medium-voltage switchgear testing if you haven't had documented work done recently, and build from there. Most facilities find gaps when they look closely. Close those gaps on your schedule, not after something goes wrong.

Ready to get started? Request a consultation today to chat with a member of our team.

What Is an Arc Flash Analysis?

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:52:41 GMT

A high priority at any facility is maintaining a safe working environment for everyone. With many industrial facilities containing equipment that requires large amounts of current, several hazards may arise if not properly managed.

An arc flash is an instantaneous explosion of electrical energy, and it’s one of the most damaging, dangerous, and potentially fatal events, making mitigation and prevention vital.

To prevent these disasters, having an arc flash analysis or study is an essential protocol to ensure that any working environment is safe and functioning properly, protecting personnel and preventing unplanned, detrimental downtime.

Fortunately, our expert team at Blue Runner Switchgear can help.

What Are the Different Components of an Arc Flash Analysis?

An arc flash analysis is a foundational component of any electrical safety program and comprises several elements.

First is data collection and system modeling, in which certified engineers collect information about the facility's electrical system. Then, these measurements are used to analyze and model the electrical network to identify potential arc flash hazards.

These simulations include short-circuit, coordination, and arc-flash energy calculations, all in accordance with IEEE 1584 guidelines. From there, a comprehensive report is generated so that any manager or engineer knows what they need to do for their space. Our professional team also installs custom warning labels wherever needed.

What Is the Value of Arc Flash Analysis?

Team member safety is the primary objective of an arc flash analysis, but it also provides operational information to minimize other hazards.

First off, an assessment’s inspection ensures that all the equipment is properly coordinated.

Engineers map all the facility's protective devices, identifying any mis-coordinated breakers caused by aging equipment or new equipment installations. If a downstream sub-panel faults, an uncoordinated system can trip the upstream main breaker, leading to a complete shutdown.

On the other hand, a properly coordinated system will only have the specific circuit fault, keeping the rest of the plant up and running.

In addition to proper coordination, system modeling from an arc flash study also highlights underrated gear, overburdened breakers, or excessive fault currents that could lead to catastrophic equipment failures during a fault.

Spotting these issues before they cause issues allows managers to plan appropriate upgrades and maintenance during planned maintenance outages, saving you from unplanned downtime due to system bottlenecks or worn-out equipment.

Finally, several electrical regulatory codes require companies to protect everyone from these hazards, including mandates from OSHA and NFPA.

A proper arc flash assessment will fulfill these requirements and keep your facility up to code and running smoothly.

Schedule Arc Flash Assessments With Blue Runner Switchgear

Our team at Blue Runner Switchgear has over 25 years of experience across a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, utilities, and healthcare. We’re a full-service, NETA®-certified company providing third-party testing and repair for all your facilities' needs, including NETA® electrical acceptance testing .

Contact us online or call (270) 590-4974 today to schedule your free consultation and learn more about how we can support your facility with arc flash assessments.

Blue Runner Switchgear is headquartered in Cave City, Kentucky, but proudly provides services nationwide.

When To Schedule Thermal Imaging (And Why It's Important)

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:48:51 GMT

For facilities across different industries, from utilities and manufacturing to healthcare and beyond, equipment care is always critical. There’s a lot that goes into proper maintenance, but thermal imaging is one of the simplest and most effective ways to monitor equipment performance.

Regular thermal scans protect infrastructure by detecting issues before they cause downtime or damage. At Blue Runner Switchgear, a NETA® Certified Company , our technicians provide certified infrared (IR) scanning. We can help you learn all about thermal imaging, from what it is, when to schedule it, and why it’s important to your facility.

What Is Thermal Imaging?

Thermal imaging, also known as infrared thermography, is a diagnostic tool that measures the surface temperatures of equipment via emitted infrared radiation. This technique helps to identify overheating, commonly caused by factors like:

Unbalanced loads.
High resistance.
Loose connections.

Once identified, deeper diagnostics can determine the cause and support a timely repair.

When Should I Schedule a Thermal Scan?

A regular maintenance schedule should include thermal imaging , but immediate scans may also be needed to check for issues. Knowing when to schedule a thermal imaging scan will help keep your facility running smoothly and prevent downtime.

Here are some situations in which you should schedule a thermal scan with expert technicians:

1. After a Fault or Unexplained Intermittent Trip

If a circuit breaker trips without warning or for an unknown reason, then a thermal scan can help ensure that all equipment is operating appropriately or easily identify the culprit device.

Don’t guess at what’s causing a trip. It’s best to have professionals identify it immediately without having to rip anything apart or tear anything down.

2. When You Have Aging or Recently Changed Load Demands

For old equipment or in facilities where new equipment has been installed, adding new loads to the infrastructure, a thermal imaging scan may help ensure that demand is being handled properly without excessive overheating.

Old equipment is more likely to have issues, and new equipment can be unpredictable, so a thermal imaging scan is ideal to ensure it’s functioning properly.

3. Before a Planned Outage

A planned maintenance outage is a very precious window of time. To make the most of this downtime, you need to know what needs fixing beforehand, and one of the best ways to do that is with a thermal scan a few weeks before the planned outage.

Planned thermal imaging provides the information you need to order parts or plan your maintenance for the planned outage.

4. During Acceptance Testing

Before accepting anything like a transformer , substation, or other switchgear, running a thermal scan establishes a baseline and helps ensure the equipment was installed successfully.

This scan helps ensure that there are no major manufacturing defects or other installation issues and that your new equipment is ready to run.

Schedule Thermal Imaging Services With Blue Runner Switchgear

With over 25 years of experience across a wide range of industries across the United States, Blue Runner Switchgear offers the services and expertise you need to test, maintain, and repair critical power systems.

Contact us today to schedule thermal imaging services, set up a regular maintenance schedule for your facility, or discuss your electrical service needs.

Grounding Transformers: Why Neutral Grounding Isn't One-Size-Fits-All

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:04:41 GMT

Proper grounding is essential for all equipment in any facility, across all industries. Improper grounding isn’t only unsafe for the equipment, leading to dangerous faults and equipment damage, but can also pose serious hazards to those nearby.

But the exact type and specifics of neutral grounding can depend on each facility's needs and environment to ensure that all equipment and personnel are properly protected. Our team at Blue Runner Switchgear, a fully NETA® certified team , is here to help explain.

Why Choose Neutral Grounding

Most industrial facilities and other plants that require high power throughout rely on three-phase power. A neutral ground within these power setups provides a controlled path for overvoltage that can occur during various events, such as power surges or lightning strikes, allowing them to travel without damaging equipment.

Improper grounding poses a serious health and safety hazard, as any unwanted charges or voltages may damage sensitive equipment, harm those working nearby, and void most manufacturers’ warranties.

Grounding in compliance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards is essential for protecting equipment and personnel and for meeting operational requirements.

What Are Transformer Grounding Strategies?

Since modern three-phase power systems typically lack a physical neutral wire, a grounding transformer establishes an artificial neutral point to handle faults safely. But the exact way these transformers are used to create a neutral ground varies depending on the facility's requirements.

Here are three transformer grounding strategies:

1. Solid Grounding

Solid grounding is an effective strategy for low-voltage systems, typically used in public utility distribution or service entrances. IT connects the neutral point directly to earth without any intermediate resistor.

It’s a great strategy for detecting faults immediately, but it may cause high fault currents that often trigger power outages.

2. Low-Resistance Grounding

Low-resistance grounding (LRG) connects the neutral point to earth via a resistor. This strategy limits the grounding fault to a predictable current between 100 and 1000 amps, thus protecting any sensitive equipment without having to deal with a massive amount of current.

This type of grounding is great for medium-voltage systems, but it doesn’t allow operation during a fault.

3. High-Resistance Grounding

High-resistance grounding (HRG) limits ground-fault current to 10 amps or less. This current limit allows for operations to continue even during a fault, preventing disruptions to any facility’s operations.

The current limit is what makes high-resistance grounding the choice for places like healthcare facilities and other situations where shutting down operations isn’t possible. The issue with high-resistance grounding is that it makes fault location difficult and can be used only in certain situations, per electrical code standards.

Find Transformer Grounding and Testing From Blue Runner Switchgear

Ensuring that your facility’s neutral grounding system is properly functioning is critical for the safety and operation. That’s why proper acceptance testing on new equipment and continued testing, monitoring, and maintenance of existing equipment is critical.

With over 25 years of experience working with facilities across industries, Blue Runner Switchgear provides all of the electrical services you need to keep your facility safe and operating smoothly. From transformer testing and repair to relay testing and more, we’re here to help you every step of the way with your power system.

What Transformer Oil Testing Results Tell You About Risk

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:30:23 GMT

Transformer oil testing is an essential maintenance procedure for assessing a transformer's health. Transformer oil is the essence of any transformer, cooling and insulating the critical electrical components. Over time, depending on the transformer's operating conditions, varying amounts of certain substances may accumulate in the transformer oil, indicating potential issues.

Understanding the results of transformer oil testing and what exactly these numbers mean for your equipment's health, maintenance procedures, and your bottom line is essential. At Blue Runner Switchgear, a NETA Certified Company , our team wants to demystify the results so you can know what they really tell you about the potential risks to your equipment.

What Is Transformer Oil Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA)?

Dissolved gas testing analyzes the gases that have accumulated in the transformer oil. The list of gases analyzed includes:

Hydrogen.
Methane.
Ethane.
Ethylene.
Acetylene.

These gases can accumulate due to internal faults, such as overheating, arcing, or partial discharge, so elevated levels of these specific chemicals can indicate that your transformer is experiencing such issues and needs servicing.

What Is Transformer Oil Dielectric Testing?

Dielectric testing measures the insulating strength of transformer oil. Contaminants such as water, dissolved gases, conductive particles, and other debris reduce the insulating strength of the oil.

A low dielectric strength indicates the transformer oil is severely contaminated or degraded, likely requiring reconditioning or replacement.

What Is Transformer Oil Moisture Content?

Water is one of the most common contaminants in transformer oil. Since water and electricity generally do not mix well, the moisture content of transformer oil is another important factor to monitor.

Faulty sealing or aging, solid insulation may cause higher moisture content.

What Is the Furan Analysis of Transformer Oil?

Furan content in transformer oil is the primary indicator of the condition of the solid, cellulose insulation within a transformer. Over time, this cellulose paper insulation breaks down into furan compounds that can then be detected in dissolved form in the transformer oil.

A high furan concentration indicates that the paper insulation may be nearing the end of its useful life, suggesting the transformer may need serious maintenance or replacement soon.

What Is the Transformer Power Factor (PF) Analysis?

The transformer oil power factor, also known as the dissipation factor, is a test that provides a good indication of the general condition of the transformer's liquid insulation.

A high power factor indicates significant dielectric losses in the oil due to high contamination, making it less efficient as an insulator.

Schedule Transformer Oil Testing and Transformer Repair With Blue Runner Switchgear

Comprehensive transformer oil testing provides multiple test results that indicate the health of a transformer's various parts. From the solid insulation results based on furan analysis to any overheating issues identified through dissolved gas analysis, understanding the results of transformer oil testing equips you with the information you need to keep your equipment running well.

Located in Cave City, KY, but serving the entire United States, Blue Runner Switchgear offers comprehensive transformer testing and repair services . We offer over 25 years of experience with data-driven maintenance and repair services, planning only necessary and effective maintenance routines, not random or reactionary procedures.

What Does a Transformer Do? Why Regular Testing Matters

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:23:00 GMT

Transformers are essential pieces of electrical infrastructure that keep businesses, power plants, industrial buildings like factories and hospitals running and properly powered. They serve as the backbone of many grids, and their continuous, reliable operation is essential. breakdown can lead to costly downtime or catastrophic failure.

Understanding exactly what a transformer does is not only important for ensuring they operate properly, but it also underscores the need to test them regularly. Regular transformer testing matters because it ensures these pieces of infrastructure operate within appropriate specifications, protecting the rest of your equipment and keeping everything running smoothly.

What Does a Transformer Do? Answered

Transformers step up or down the voltage through electromagnetic induction; they convert an input voltage to either a higher or lower voltage, depending on the power required at the other end. A current runs through a coil of copper wire (the primary winding) inside the transformer, generating a magnetic field. If another coil of wire (the secondary winding) is placed in this field, a corresponding electric current is generated in this coil. By varying the number of turns in each coil, one can convert the voltage from higher to lower, or vice versa. Transformers are essential in power distribution networks for isolation, protection of sensitive equipment, and proper voltage regulation for everything connected to the network.

Larger transformers are often filled with insulating oil to protect against shorts or other electrical issues when handling high voltages. This oil insulates and cools the equipment, which keeps the current moving through the transformer as it should, but under high load and exposure to the elements, it can degrade, potentially leading to damage or failure.

The Importance of Transformer Testing

Transformers do a lot of work managing electrical voltages so that all equipment receives the voltage of power it is rated for, in order to function properly. A transformer malfunction can cause equipment damage due to incorrect voltage, reduced efficiency, or even catastrophic failure if it has major issues, such as untested oil contamination or overheating. Some transformers have to manage thousands upon thousands of volts and tons of current, so when they fail, all that energy often takes neighboring switchgear, motors, and sensitive electronics down with it.

This is why performing transformer testing on set schedules is critical. Regular transformer testing will prevent all of these issues and maximize the lifespan of your equipment. A regular maintenance schedule with testing will ensure that all transformers keep working just as they need to and spot any issues before they become major problems.

Transformer Testing and More from Blue Runner Switchgear

For the best in transformer testing, let Blue Runner Switchgear help. We have been in the industry for over 25 years, working in facilities across various industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, commercial, utilities, and more. We are a full-service electrical testing and maintenance provider, fully NETA certified. As a fully NETA-certified third party, we provide unbiased testing alongside repair services for transformers , relays , and other electrical equipment.

To learn more about our services, set up your own regular maintenance program, or schedule a service, contact us online or give us a call. Blue Runner Switchgear proudly provides services across the United States.

What Is NETA Testing and When Does Your Facility Actually Need It?

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:14:03 GMT

What is NETA?

NETA, the International Electrical Testing Association, is an ANSI-accredited organization that develops standards for testing, inspecting, and maintaining electrical power systems . Its standards are designed to ensure these systems operate reliably and safely.

NETA also serves as an accrediting and certifying body for testing companies and technicians. Companies that earn NETA accreditation are held to these exacting standards, which matters when testing and maintaining your facility's electrical systems.

We here at Blue Runner Switchgear are one such accredited company, meaning you can count on us to deliver independent, unbiased testing results for your facility, proving that all your equipment meets safety and reliability benchmarks.

What is NETA Testing?

NETA testing is the process by which certified technicians ensure that your facility’s electrical systems are performing up to NETA standards. There are two types of NETA testing: acceptance testing and maintenance testing. Acceptance testing is conducted on new equipment before it is put into service to verify that it has been installed properly, is damage-free, complies with its design specifications, and will operate safely and reliably once in service. This catches installation issues and equipment defects before they can cause accidents, injury, or damage.

Maintenance testing is periodic testing of in-service equipment to verify that it continues to operate in accordance with NETA standards. This will ensure that your equipment is in good condition and continues to operate within specification, maintaining reliability and preventing unwanted, expensive outages or downtime.

When Does Your Facility Need NETA Testing?

The right testing schedule for your facility depends on the type of equipment, its age, the demands placed on it, and the operating environment. While there are some general guidelines that can be provided here, the best way to know when your facility needs NETA testing is to contact a NETA-certified company like us at Blue Runner Switchgear. Our expert technicians can help you determine exactly when you need NETA testing and work with you to establish a regular testing schedule to ensure that all of your facility’s equipment is tested as often as needed.

But as a general guideline, it is appropriate to have NETA acceptance testing done whenever your facility installs new equipment, before it is put into service. Then, most equipment should have visual and mechanical maintenance testing done once every twelve months, with essential safety equipment, high-use equipment, and other types of equipment needing visual inspection as often as every one-to-two months.

NETA Testing From Blue Runner Switchgear

Blue Runner Switchgear has provided third-party, fully accredited NETA-certified testing, inspection, and maintenance to facilities across the country in a wide range of industries. With over twenty-five years of experience, you can count on us to ensure that your facility and all of its equipment are operating within spec, keeping everyone safe and greatly reducing the risk of any disastrous downtime or damaging failures.

We offer a complete range of services, including NETA Electrical Testing & Electrical Acceptance Testing , Low & Medium Voltage Switchgear Testing , and more. Contact us today to get more information or set up a regular maintenance program to keep your facility up and running.

How Often Should You Test Your Industrial Transformers?

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:00:49 GMT

Transformers are the electrical backbone of any power system. Improper maintenance of industrial transformers can cause catastrophic failures, resulting in severe disruption to a company’s electrical plant and potentially require substantial replacement or high repair costs.

But these costs and related downtime can be avoided through proper, timely transformer testing and maintenance. Knowing how often to test your transformer is essential to ensuring continued performance and preventing catastrophic failures.

When is Transformer Testing Necessary?

At a minimum, any critical transformer must be tested and maintained annually. In addition, a transformer should be tested for any issues whenever there are suspected problems, such as overheating, oil contamination, unusual noise, or tripping.

It is better to be safe than sorry; if there is any indication that a transformer is not performing correctly, it is best to have it tested. Transformers in higher-risk environments or older transformers may require more frequent testing and maintenance.

Testing for Industrial Power Systems

Blue Runner Switchgear has been testing and maintaining a wide range of industrial power systems for years. We offer specialized diagnostics and repairs to ensure your equipment operates properly, preventing fires, outages, and other catastrophic failures.

Our expert transformer testing and repair services are comprehensive and advanced, thoroughly inspecting every part of your transformers.

Oil-filled transformers rely on an internal reservoir of oil to insulate and cool the components, making the condition of the oil one of the most critical factors in your transformer's performance. As part of our transformer testing, we will do a series of tests, including:

Dissolved Gas Analysis : Detect internal faults before they become a problem by analyzing the gases within the oil.
Karl Fischer Water Testing : Prevent degradation of components due to high levels of moisture.
Dielectric Testing : Measure the oil's resistance to electrical stress to detect contamination or degradation.
Neutralization Number : Determine the acid content in the oil to check for oil degradation and sludge formation.
Power Factor and Furan Analysis : Measure the condition of both the solid and liquid insulation within the transformer.

Alongside these analytical tests, we also conduct electrical tests to ensure the transformer is operating as it should. These electrical tests include:

Turns Ratio Testing : An AC voltage source is used to compare the voltage ratio with the nameplate value to detect any significant deviations.
Insulation Resistance Testing : A high DC voltage is applied to detect any defects or insulation breakdown.
Winding Resistance Measurement : A highly sensitive DC measurement is used to detect any loose connections, high resistances, or broken strands in the winding.

This series of tests, alongside appropriate maintenance performed at least once a year, will ensure that your company’s industrial transformers are functioning correctly and in good condition.

Testing may need to be more frequent, depending on the transformer's age or operating conditions.

Blue Runner Switchgear for Industrial Power Systems Maintenance

For over 25 years, Blue Runner Switchgear has been trusted by facilities across a wide range of industries to maintain, test, repair, and monitor their industrial power systems.

We are fully NETA-certified and have the expertise to meet all industry-standard certifications, including OSHA, NFPA, and IEEE.

We deliver objective, third-party testing that will keep your systems in tip-top shape. Contact us today to learn more or get started in setting up your own regular maintenance program.

How to Maintain Your Industrial Power System

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 11:20:17 GMT

Maintenance is essential for the continued performance of any large electrical system. This is especially true when it comes to industrial power systems, where high demands are constant, and any downtime can lead to steep costs and safety concerns. Regular industrial power system maintenance ensures the system can operate continuously and safely. Regular maintenance from quality inspection can even extend equipment lifespan.

Blue Runner Switchgear has been providing critical industrial power system maintenance to a wide range of facilities across multiple industries for over twenty-five years. As a NETA-certified electrical maintenance provider, we are here to help you understand how to maintain your industrial power system, keeping your system reliable and running.

Facts About Industrial Power System Maintenance

Industrial power system maintenance ensures that your system and equipment is operating correctly. Inspection should be a regular part of your maintenance plan so that you can detect and identify issues in the system, and complete regular repairs or malfunctions as they become available. Identifying and detecting any problems immediately is essential to ensure the whole system is up to spec. Further specific equipment testing can identify any existing issues.

What Good Industrial Power System Maintenance Looks Like in Practice

Effective industrial power system maintenance is not reactive. It follows a planned cycle that combines inspection, testing, documentation, and corrective action over time. While exact requirements vary by facility, most successful programs share a few common principles:

Baseline testing to establish normal operating conditions.
Defined inspection and testing intervals based on equipment criticality, operating environment, and manufacturer guidance.
Trend analysis to identify deterioration before failure occurs.
 Documented results that support compliance, insurance, and maintenance planning.

This approach allows facility owners to prioritize maintenance activities, budget for repairs, and avoid unplanned outages instead of responding to failures after they occur.

The Importance of Regular Inspections

Scheduled regular inspections of all equipment and connections can catch minor problems before they escalate or identify hidden issues. The exact inspection schedule depends on the industry and type of equipment, but it is part of your regular schedule and sets the foundation for appropriate maintenance of any electrical system.

Thermal Imaging

An excellent add-on to regular inspections, thermal imaging can help to detect issues that would otherwise fly under the radar. Thermal imaging can identify hot spots, loose connections, overloaded components, and other issues, all while the equipment is running. This lets you see how your equipment performs under real operating conditions.

Cyclical Maintenance

Industrial power system maintenance works best as a continuous cycle rather than a single event. Inspections and thermal imaging identify visible or developing issues, while electrical testing confirms whether those issues are affecting performance or safety.

Over time, comparing test results allows maintenance teams to track trends, verify repairs, and determine when corrective action is necessary. This cycle—inspect, test, document, correct, and re-test—is the foundation of a reliable, compliant electrical maintenance program.

Equipment Testing

Beyond visual and thermal inspection of equipment, individual testing ensures your equipment operates efficiently, complies with regulations, and maintains your industrial power system. Blue Runner Switchgear provides NETA-certified electrical maintenance to ensure your equipment continues to meet NETA standards, as well as OSHA, IEEE, and NFPA.

Switchgear Testing : Switchgear is often the first point of failure in an industrial power system and plays a central role in protecting downstream equipment. Because it controls power distribution and fault isolation, switchgear maintenance directly affects system reliability, safety, and arc flash risk. Regular switchgear testing and maintenance typically includes mechanical inspection, cleaning, lubrication, verification of protective device operation, and circuit breaker timing and performance testing. When breakers fail to operate correctly or protective coordination drifts out of specification, faults can escalate quickly, leading to equipment damage or facility-wide outages.
Transformer Testing : Transformers are the backbone of any power system. Regular turns ratio, insulation resistance, and winding resistance testing will ensure your industrial power system operates properly.
Relay Testing : Relays serve as the ‘brains’ of an electrical system, detecting faults to protect valuable equipment. Testing and inspecting these relays via ground-fault testing, current- and potential-transformer verification, and end-to-end testing ensures they operate properly.
Substation Testing : Substations manage, transform, and deliver power throughout industrial power systems. Ground resistance testing and infrared scanning ensure that these critical components stay in proper working order.

Who Is Typically Responsible for Industrial Power System Maintenance?

Responsibility for electrical maintenance often falls across multiple roles, including facility managers, operations teams, and environmental health and safety (EHS) personnel. While day-to-day monitoring may be handled internally, specialized inspection, testing, and documentation are commonly outsourced.

Blue Runner Switchgear is here to fill those gaps. We are an NETA-certified providers to ensure objectivity, compliance, and technical accuracy. For many facilities, maintenance decisions are driven by a combination of reliability goals, safety requirements, regulatory obligations, and insurance expectations—making our certified testing an essential part of long-term planning rather than a discretionary expense.

NETA Certified Electrical Maintenance from Blue Runner Switchgear

Blue Runner Switchgear has been providing NETA-certified electrical maintenance for over twenty-five years. We offer a complete range of testing services to help you maintain your industrial power system. For more information about our maintenance services, or to set up a maintenance program for your industrial power system, contact us , visit our website, or give us a call to schedule your free consultation.

Why Hiring a NETA® Accredited Electrical Testing Company Matters

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:05:36 GMT

In the world of power infrastructure, quality and performance are critical. In facilities like data centers, hospitals, and utilities, there is no room for unexpected power interruptions or damage caused by faulty components. Electrical failures don’t just cause downtime—they create serious safety risk, regulatory exposure, and expensive equipment damage.

Ensuring that power infrastructure is sound and functioning correctly is essential for any plant, making it even more crucial to find experts to test and verify that everything is working as intended. That's why working with a NETA® Certified Electrical Testing Company is paramount for keeping your systems operating smoothly and safely.

Blue Runner Switchgear is a NETA®-Certified full-service electrical testing and maintenance provider with over twenty-five years of experience, working in a wide range of facilities across multiple industries nationwide.

What is NETA®?

NETA® is the InterNational Electrical Testing Association , an organization that develops and publishes standards for testing electrical power systems equipment. In plain terms: NETA helps define how electrical power equipment should be tested —and it sets up programs to ensure the companies and technicians performing that testing meet strict requirements.

What does it mean to hire a NETA® Accredited Company?

NETA’s accreditation program is designed around third-party, independent testing . NETA® Accredited Companies like Blue Runner Switchgear are required to be independent service providers (divested of competing service or manufacturing interests) so test results remain unbiased.

That independence matters because your reports are often used to:

demonstrate system integrity for safety and reliability benchmarks,
support insurance and regulatory requirements,
document “pass/fail” outcomes and corrective actions clearly for audit trails.

To become NETA® certified, a technician must complete hundreds of hours of field training, in addition to passing a written exam that covers theory, standards, and practical knowledge. There are multiple levels of NETA certification that a technician can acquire, with each level requiring them to gain more experience, demonstrate a higher level of expertise, and pass increasingly rigorous exams.

Why is NETA® Certified Electrical Acceptance Testing Necessary?

Acquiring a NETA certification as a company and as a technician is no easy feat, but it is necessary, for a NETA certification ensures that your electrical systems are evaluated and appropriately maintained. NETA standards align with all major industry standards, including OSHA, NFPA 70E, and IEEE, ensuring that a company with this certification maintains compliance with all necessary standards. Additionally, this level of testing and evaluation of your equipment will reduce downtime, prevent significant damage, and even help extend equipment lifespan.

With mission-critical electrical equipment, it's essential to ensure that it is inspected and maintained correctly. This is why there is no substitute for NETA-certified electrical testing.

Maintenance Testing

Maintenance testing keeps your system reliable over time. Our maintenance testing ensures your equipment continues operating reliably and safely in conformance with industry and manufacturer tolerances.

When maintenance testing is done consistently, you can reduce unplanned downtime, extend equipment life, and prioritize repairs based on data.

What to expect from Blue Runner Switchgear

Blue Runner’s approach is built around a structured testing process and clear deliverables:

Data Collection & Review: we review applicable standards, equipment documentation, and job requirements to build a site-specific test plan .
Certified Execution: testing is performed by qualified technicians using calibrated instruments, following strict safety and procedural controls.
Accredited Test Reports: you receive audit-ready documentation with pass/fail criteria, complete data sets, calibration documentation, and executive summaries—so you can act quickly and prove compliance.

Blue Runner also supports testing and maintenance across critical systems—like switchgear, transformers, protective relays, MV cable, substations, and more.

NETA® Certified Electrical Acceptance Testing from Blue Runner Switchgear

Blue Runner Switchgear has over 25 years of experience in electrical testing and maintenance across various industries, including heavy industry and healthcare. We offer a wide range of services, including NETA Electrical Testing & Electrical Acceptance Testing , Transformer Testing & Repair , Relay Testing , and more. We are fully NETA certified, so you can trust us to deliver unbiased, third-party testing alongside superior repair services designed to keep your equipment running reliably, compliantly, and safely.

For more information on the services that we offer, or to set up a regular maintenance program, don’t hesitate to Contact Us via our website, or give us a call.