Louis Barrios
Principal Consultant
Louis August Barrios is a recognized industry subject-matter expert with more than 35 years of experience in electrical engineering, specializing in electrical safety, engineering standards, talent development, and power system reliability. His career reflects deep technical expertise combined with global leadership in complex, high-risk industrial environments.
Prior to retiring from Shell in 2025, Louis served as Global Discipline Lead (GDL) for Electrical Engineering and Principal Technical Expert (PTE) for Electrical Safety and Area Classification/Ignition Control. In his GDL role, he provided functional leadership across Shell’s global electrical engineering community, establishing requirements for technical assurance, competency development, and succession planning for critical electrical engineering positions. As PTE, he led Shell’s global electrical safety team, authored corporate safety and engineering standards, delivered technical training worldwide, and served as the principal authority on electrical safety and hazardous area classification.
Louis also led the development of Shell’s global electrical asset integrity and auditing program, covering topics such as organizational effectiveness, regulatory compliance, power system studies, asset master planning, performance metrics, failure investigation, quality assurance, and inspection and maintenance strategies. His work integrated both operational and engineering perspectives to improve safety, reliability, and long-term asset performance.
He has been actively involved in North American electrical codes and standards since 2000. He has served on NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace since 2001 and chaired the technical committee from 2018 to 2026. He has also been a long-standing member of NFPA 70 National Electrical Code, a key contributor to API RP 500/505, past chair of the IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Committee (PCIC), and past chair of the API Subcommittee on Electrical Equipment (SOEE).
Prior to retiring from Shell in 2025, Louis served as Global Discipline Lead (GDL) for Electrical Engineering and Principal Technical Expert (PTE) for Electrical Safety and Area Classification/Ignition Control. In his GDL role, he provided functional leadership across Shell’s global electrical engineering community, establishing requirements for technical assurance, competency development, and succession planning for critical electrical engineering positions. As PTE, he led Shell’s global electrical safety team, authored corporate safety and engineering standards, delivered technical training worldwide, and served as the principal authority on electrical safety and hazardous area classification.
Louis also led the development of Shell’s global electrical asset integrity and auditing program, covering topics such as organizational effectiveness, regulatory compliance, power system studies, asset master planning, performance metrics, failure investigation, quality assurance, and inspection and maintenance strategies. His work integrated both operational and engineering perspectives to improve safety, reliability, and long-term asset performance.
He has been actively involved in North American electrical codes and standards since 2000. He has served on NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace since 2001 and chaired the technical committee from 2018 to 2026. He has also been a long-standing member of NFPA 70 National Electrical Code, a key contributor to API RP 500/505, past chair of the IEEE IAS Petroleum and Chemical Industry Committee (PCIC), and past chair of the API Subcommittee on Electrical Equipment (SOEE).