Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD NO 341 EMERGENCY ORDINANCE N0. D~/NEW' SERIES AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION, 0P- ERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF REFRIGERATING PLANTS IN THE CITY OF BAKERSFIELD, AND PRESCRIBING SAFETY AND SIGNALING APPLIANCES AND DEVICES TO BE USED IN CONNECTION THEREWITH AND PRESCRIBING A PENALTY FOR THE VIOLATION OF THIS OHDINANCE. WHEREAS, the health, safety and welfare of the inhab- itants of the City of Bakersfield require the passage of an ordinance regulating the construction, operation and ma. intenance of refrigerating plants in the City of Bakersfield, and pres- cribing safety and signaling appliances and devices to be used in connection therewith, BE IT OEDAINED BY ~HE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ~BAKERS- FIELD, as follows: SECT ION 1. Except as heroinafter provided in this ordinance, it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation t'0 operate in ~he City of Bakersfield any plant producing refrigeration by the means of gases under pressure in connection with cold storage plants, breweries, ice manufactories, hotels, restaurants or other places of business, without a permit issued by the Chief of the Fire Department and such permit shall not be issued to any person, firm or corporation until all the provisions of this ordinance shall have been complied with. SECT ION 2. This Ordinance shall not be retroactive, but where es- sential changes are made in any system existing at the time of the passage of ~his Ordinance, whereby forty percent or more of the plant shall be reconstr.ucted, such reconstruction shall be in con. formity to the terms of this ordinance; provided, however, that nothing contained in this section shall be construed to avoid the placing of curb shut-off valves, automatic shut-off valves, or emergency pipes for discharge in case of accident, nor shall it be construed to avoid the providing of exits, the designation of -1- 'y.~ . ...' - -.~.~ ~- .. the chemical contained in the pipes by the means of signs o~ the pressure allowed in refrigerating machines. SECTION 3. All refrigerating machines shall be equipped with auto- matic safety devices~..which discharge at three hundred (300) pounds to the square inch for ammonia, fourteen hundred (1400) pounds per square inch for carbon dioxide, one hundred (100) pounds per square inch for sulphur dioxide, and one hundred (100) pounds per square inch for ethyl-chloride into the emergency pipes required by the preceding section or into the low pressure side. SECT ION 4. In all refrigerating plants, every room containing a refrigerating chemical under pressure exceeding forty (40) pounds per square inch for ethyl-chloride, sixty (60) pounds for sulphur..~: dioxide, one hundred (100) pounds for ammonia and five hundred (500) pounds for carbon dioxide, and which by accident may become filled with the gases generated by said chemicals, shall have an exit to the open air direct or by the means of a stairway or to room or .a hall from which said gases can be excluded. Other refrigerating plants shall be provided with such means of exit as may be pres- cri~'ed by the Chief of the Fire Department. Rooms which contain only the liquid supply pipe to the refrigerating coils are not included within the meaning of this section. SECTION 5. The maximum pressure allowed in a refrigerating machine shall not exceed three hundred (300) pounds for ammonia, fourteen hundred (1400).pounds for carbon dioxide, one hundred (100) pounds for sulphur dioxide and one hundred (100) pounds for ethyl-chloride to the square inch. All pipes for refrigerating purposes shall stand a hydrostatic pressure at double the maximum pressure per square inch specified in this section. All fittings must stand a pressure at least three times the maximum pressure per square inch specified in this section... SECTION 6. No room containing refrigerating condensers or compress- ors of amonia or ethyl-chloride under pressure shall have in it any open flame, arc light or direct opening to the boiler room, but an internal combustion engine may be located therein which may be started in the usual manner. There shall be a fire wall between such room and the boiler room equipped with a self closing door of the type approved by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. SECTION V. In all refrigerating plants and in all buildings to which refrigerating chemicals may be piped from outside sources, there shall be kept, fit and available for use, suitable helmets or respirators which shall permit the wearer to reach, without suffo- cation, any part of the refrigerating system. Such helmets or respirators shall' be of a type approved by the Chief of the Fire Department. In all refrigerating plants of a capacity of seventy- five tons or less, and in all buildings to which refrigerating chemicals may be piped from outside sources, there shall be at least one helmet or respirator and in plants of over seventy-five tons capacity there shall be at least two such helmets or res- 'pirators. Such helmets or respirators shall be kept in a suitable case or cabinet which shall be easy of a6cess and the location of which shall be known to all employees having access to such refrigerating plants or systems, such location being outside of refrigerating machinery room if in a refrigerating plant and near the doorway leading to such room. Helmets or respirators shall be officially inspected every six months by the Fire Chief and inspection card shall bear date of such inspection. SECTION 8. In ell refrigerating plants ~here shall be posted several copies of a brief set of rules satisfactory to the Chief of the Fire Department, direc~g all employees as to their duties in case of fire or other emergencies. Employers shall be responsible for and conduct at suitable times, as directed by the Chief of the Fire Department, proper drills, for all employees in case of fire or other emergencies. SECTION 9. In all refrigerating plants and in all buildings to .'~_~"~ refrigerating chemicals may be piped from outside seurces, the pipes shall have 'conspicuously .displayed on them at proper places, signs with easily legible letters naming the refrigerating chemical contained therein. SECTION 10. Refrigerating plants may store a surplus stock of the refrigerating chemical by permission of the Chief of the Fire De- partment. SECTION 11. (a) All refrigerating plants of three (3) tons refrigerating capacity or over, using m.monia or ethyl-chloride as a refrigerat- ing agent, shall be equipped with a device or devices for discharg- ing the refrigerating agent under pressure in case of emergency, into sufficient water to absorb all discharged gas and carry it off tO the sewer. (b) All refrigerating plants of three (3) tons refrigerating capacity or less, shall be equipped with a device or devices for discharging the refrigerating agent under pressure into the open at a point designated by the Chief of the Fire Department so that the effects of the same would cause no inconvenience to firemen fighting fire or to occupants of adjacent dwellings or property. Such device shall be operated by a valve which can be opened both inside and outside the refrigerating plant at convenient places that 'will be accessible to the Fire Department. Such device or devices herein referred to shall be con- structed in accordance with that recommended by the American Society of Refrigerating Engineer and shall be under the direct supervision of the Chief of the Fire Department. The officers or members of the Fire Department shall have the sole use of the de- v~e or devices herein mentioned for the control of said refrig- -4- eraring agent and shall supply the necessary water for the ab- sorption of the gases when the same is needed. SECTION 12. No valves shall be' located in the emergency discharge lines except the control and check valves to the water and re- frigerant mixer, but there shall be one control valve on each emergency line located near connection to main high and low pressure lines for repair purposes only. Such additional valves shall be kept open at all. times and if they are kept closed at any time a violation of the intention of these regulations has been committed. SECTION 13. The emergency valves and a standard Fire Department siamese connection shall be' located on a public thoroughfare side of the building, either outside of the building or in a vestibule having glass panel doors which will provide easy access from the street, with valves and connections not more than five feet above the street or vestibule floor level. In no case shall the valves or connections be located over the exhaust outlet used for vent- ilating the room containing the refrigerating plant or system. SECTION 14. - The emergency valves shall be placed in a suitable metal box and the cover of such box shall be kept locked.. The lock shall be opened only by the officers and members of the Fire Department. On the outside of the box shall be painted in legible letters the wo'rds "For Fire Department Use Only". The high .pressure 'emergency valves shall be labeled "HIGH PRESSURE AMMONIA" and the low pressure emergency valves shall be labeled "LOW PRESSURE AMMONIA". Where ethyl-chloride is used the words "ETHYL-CHLORIDE" shall be substi- tuted for the word "AMMONIA" on such labels. A sign reading as follows shall be posted in the box "DO NOT OPEN THE VALVES UNTIL THE WATER IS FLOWING." SECTION 16. On carbon dioxide plants, in addition to the safety valve at the compressor specified in Section 3 there may be an automatic safety valve located on the high pressure and the low preasur~- · -5 -' '..: .... violate any of the provisions of this ordinance, shall ~p~n conviction thereof, be punishable by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment not exceeding six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. ..... 000 ..... I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Ordinance was passed and adopted by the 0ouncil of the 0ity of Bakersfield, on the ~L~a~ of March, 1950, by the following vote: Ayes: Benson Carlock, Cotbert, Hea~len, Johnson, Martin, Waiters C~~io 0lark of Council of the City cf Bakersfiela. the