Stop Guessing: A Non-Biased Way to Prioritize Electrical Repairs w/ Steve Abbott

"That's the part that they're looking for a non biased methodology that you can support. Why did you address this device and not address this other device? And so it's a very, not arbitrary, not someone who felt that this is going to be where we want to spend their money."

In this episode of the Electrical Safety Podcast, host Jon Travis speaks with Steve Abbott of Stark Safety Consultants about the massive shift in electrical maintenance standards and the "gap" between static arc flash studies and real-world equipment conditions.

They explore why the 2023/2026 NFPA 70B updates change everything for facility managers, how to prioritize maintenance for thousands of devices using "criticality scores," and how AI technology is being used to automate visual inspections.

00:00 Steve’s Background in Electrical Safety
06:51 Transitioning from Consulting to Asset Management
07:32 Why Workers Stop Trusting Inaccurate Information
08:28 The 5-Year Arc Flash Myth vs. Reality
16:51 Why Studies Are Worthless Before They Are Finished
18:12 NFPA 70B: Recommendation vs. Required Standard
21:27 Moving Away from "Arbitrary" Maintenance Schedules
25:06 IR Scans & Visual Inspections: The Best Bang for Your Buck
35:21 2026 NFPA 70B: The Move to Auditable Formats
37:51 Non-Biased Methodology vs. Gut Feeling
39:05 Using AI to Automate Visual Inspections & Code Findings
45:48 Connect with Steve Abbott and Real Time AIS

Connect with Steve Abbott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-j-...
Website: https://www.starksafetyconsultants.com/
Realtime Asset Inventory System(AIS): https://realtimeais.com/

Connect with Jon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmtravi...
Website: https://leafelectricalsafety.com/

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