Every year thousands electrical workers are injured or even killed while at work and Billions of dollars are lost in unplanned power outages and equipment failures. Electrical Maintenance Safety Devices (EMSD’s) allow essential energized maintenance tasks to be completed while the equipment remains in a closed and safe condition ensuring workers are never exposed to the dangers of Arc Flash or electrocution. EMSD’s allow for essential maintenance inspections to be completed routinely, safely and with minimal disruption of day-to-day operations. Critical Asset Surveillance Technologies (CAST) refers to condition based monitoring technology and equipment in use every day to inspect our electrical distribution assets. These surveillance and inspection means determine the condition of the individual asset or system being inspected and include but are not limited to:

• Infrared Thermography
• Airborne Ultrasound
• Motor Current Analysis
• Partial Discharge Testing
• Vibration Analysis
• Fluid Analysis
• Corona Cameras
• Visual Inspections

The challenge of CAST implementation is that the majority of inspection and surveillance equipment utilized yield their most valuable results when inspecting electrical distribution equipment that is operating under full load conditions. This is also when they are both most dangerous to maintenance personnel and of the greatest value to the process they are powering. EMSD technologies maintain the energized compartment’s closed and guarded condition ensuring that personnel are not endangered. They are designed to allow the test equipment needed for CAST to be used safely at any time, especially when equipment is under full load conditions which is when the inspection yields its greatest value. We must change the way we manage and use CAST test equipment in the maintenance of our electrical distribution assets.  Current methodologies and systems are dangerous, costly and ineffective EMSD solutions allow CAST to fit into a Safe, Effective and Profitable Maintenance Model protecting People, Profits and Equipment.

For over 30 years, Martin Robinson has been a pioneer in the field of condition based maintenance technology.  He spent 18 years in the British Army specializing in field maintenance of combat fleet vehicles.  Mr. Robinson continues to be an innovator and pioneer the technological benefits of Infrared Thermography internationally.  He has met with, consulted, or advised international maintenance and reliability leaders on electrical preventive maintenance (EPM) and electrical safety standards of NFPA and OSHA.  A recognized authority in the field of Infrared (IR) Thermography, Mr. Robinson has designed CBM programs to include IR, Non-destructive Testing (NDT) and implementation of green energy initiatives and energy management strategies.

Martin holds a NEBOSH certificate in Occupational Safety and Health, a Level III Certified Infrared Thermographer and is also a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP) through the Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals (SMRP).  He is also a member of IEEE, NFPA and is a standing member on the technical committee CSA Z463 guidelines on maintenance of electrical systems and a member of the IEEE P1854 working group (Recommended Practice for Electrical System Design Techniques to Improve Electrical Safety).