Why Your Facility Needs Routine Electrical Audits, Even When Everything Seems Fine

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported over 36,784 fires at industrial or manufacturing facilities from 2017 to 2021. That might not seem like a lot, until you factor in the potential loss of life, equipment, and IP-related systems that take years to rebuild. You could think everything is 100% fine one moment, only to direct employees out of an emergency exit the next due to an unforeseen arc flash.

Electrical systems are really good at accumulating risks. Rats chewing through lines in an older building or overloading circuits with too many IoT devices in a new site all place wear and tear on the complete system. Add aging infrastructure, environmental stressors, and lax code compliance, and you get a recipe where a single flicker won’t be enough to warn you what comes next.

Routine electrical audits are crucial to getting complete peace of mind that your building or industrial site is meeting codes and protecting your human, machine, and IP assets.

What Is an Electrical Audit?

The whole idea of an electrical audit is similar to a routine maintenance check on a used car. You are proactively working with a professional team of engineers to determine the condition of your facility’s electrical system. This is significantly more in-depth than a surface-level electrical inspection, as it typically involves data-driven diagnostics, thermal imaging, safety reviews, and compliance evaluations.

Various pressures exist on buildings and their electrical systems. Standards like the NFPA 70, OSHA, IEEE, and local or state regulations all play a role. With a proper audit schedule, you can avoid a visibly scorched outlet or a loose panel screw, which can lead to expensive and timely damage.

What’s Included in a Comprehensive Electrical Audit?

Every facility audit concerning the electrical layout of systems will be different. You want a licensed engineering firm or consultant with years of experience, such as Dreiym Engineering, to tailor the audit to your unique needs. Even with that tailored approach, you should still expect a visual inspection of accessible panels, wiring, circuit breakers, transformers, switchgear, and outlets. That first initial pass will flag any signs of corrosion, physical damage, insulation breakdown, or code violations.

Additionally, you can expect the use of advanced tools, such as thermographic imaging (with or without drone capabilities). These passes identify abnormal electrical behavior like a hot spot from a loose connection or overloaded component that are typically invisible to the naked eye.

Another good idea is to ensure the engineering firm you hire offers electrical load analysis. That will examine every single part of your system to ensure it is operating within safe capacity. Without such analysis, you could miss out on overloaded circuits that can damage expensive and specially designed equipment.  Most of the time, this can be combined with short circuit analysis to see how your system responds should a breaker or protection device “act out” of compliance.

Everything from harmonic distortion to voltage imbalances due to dips and swells is vital in an electrical audit of your facility. When the audit is complete, you should receive a comprehensive, well-organized set of documents that cover drawings, diagrams, past inspection reports, maintenance logs, and any recommendations to prevent future issues.

Why Audits Are Essential

It is easy to underestimate the value of an electrical audit conducted by an experienced engineering firm, especially when everything in your facility seems to be operating without any errors or issues. The trouble is that it doesn’t mean you aren’t free from hidden risks.

Wiring insulation can and will decay. Insurance companies love to point out when a building hasn’t been inspected and will likely blame that issue for why they don’t pay out as much after a fire. Overloads can be hidden, and you may not know until something catastrophically fails.

It’s imperative that facilities, especially those in industrial and manufacturing sectors, prioritize safety first. Avoiding the massive costs associated with an electrical fire can be as simple as conducting an annual audit of current systems. Best of all, that proactive step helps you maintain compliance, without which you can expect higher fees, litigation, or public scrutiny.

Recommended Audit Frequency by Facility Type

Each facility comes with its own level of risk. The frequency of electrical audits you schedule really depends on the complexity, age, and criticality of your current operations. You don’t want to gamble on something not breaking until it is too late. Your local laws might differ, but a good starting point would be:

• Standard Commercial Space: Schedule an electrical audit once per year to verify safety, compliance, and energy efficiency.
• Industrial Facilities: At least twice per year or more if you have high electrical loads, large machinery, or variable production demands.
• Older Buildings: Any structure older than 25 years should be inspected and audited quarterly, especially where updates or expansions have occurred.
• Mission Critical Facilities: Healthcare, data centers, and public-dependent infrastructure should be inspected monthly or with component-specific audits, especially for backup power and load-balanced circuits.

The more you lean into proactive maintenance, the less you have to worry about unexpected downtime or new compliance rules throwing a wrench in your daily operations.

How Load and Short Circuit Analysis Improve Long-Term Performance

Most power system issues or failures do not begin as obvious damage from a storm or frayed wire out in the open. They tend to be hidden behind walls, where moisture, natural elements, or overloads can impact systems. That is why it’s recommended to get an occasional electrical load analysis or short circuit analysis.

With electrical load analysis, you can actively measure the real-time pressure of peak demands across various circuits and panels. A common issue is load creep, where plugging in new network devices or HVAC systems first without understanding the systems leads to downstream effects scenarios that can overtax your electrical loads. Analysis helps rebalance and extend the life of components, ensuring sufficient capacity even with recommended updates.

Short-circuit analysis simulates the fault conditions you want to avoid, allowing you to determine how your system holds up to breaker and fuse issues. It will enable you to better isolate and interrupt faults before they occur, minimizing the potential impact and reducing your risk by addressing such weaknesses before they escalate into disasters.

The more precise your analysis during an electrical audit, the more accurately you gain a picture of system health. That is a powerful tool in lowering insurance rates, meeting compliance requirements, and providing evidence-based reports should anything adverse occur.

Audits Are an Investment, Not an Expense

Just because the electrical system in a functioning airport or oil refiner seems safe doesn’t mean it is without risk. Invisible issues from aging wire or imbalanced loads will accumulate over time, leading to significant equipment damage, rising energy costs, or the threat of fire and injury.

Lower your liability with a professional electrical audit from an experienced and fully equipped engineering firm like Dreiym. Being able to quickly provide evidence that you’re meeting compliance or giving your employees peace of mind that their worksite is safe is a much better return on investment than risking a catastrophic fire. Call today and schedule an appointment. You’ll be happy you did.