May 14, 2020 – The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) in the U.S. has published NEMA GD 4-2020 “COVID-19 cleaning and disinfecting guidance for electrical equipment”.

Managing the COVID-19 virus requires proper cleaning and disinfecting of equipment, says NEMA, which is why it developed specific guidance to answer common questions for how to maintain cleanliness while preserving the functionality and integrity of electrical equipment.

“Disinfectant solutions and solvents can harm electrical equipment and components, causing severe damage that can result in outages and potential physical injuries,” added Steve Sacco, VP of Safety & Environment at Schneider Electric. “We specifically caution against the use of fogging and spraying disinfectant solutions on and around electrical equipment because this can create invasive electrical hazards.”

“As government social distancing restrictions are lifted, and workplaces of all types reopen, the focus will be on how to protect workers and keep facilities clean and disinfected,” said Kevin J. Cosgriff, NEMA president and CEO. “[All] cleaning and disinfecting steps must bear in mind the need to protect electrical equipment from inappropriate cleaning and disinfecting products and methods. In most cases, the [OEM] is the best source of authoritative information regarding products made by them.”

NEMA GD 4-2020 is available as an electronic download at no cost (login required) on the NEMA website.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) represents nearly 325 electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers.