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
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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-
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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~-
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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.
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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