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HomeMy WebLinkAbout0549-44. ORDINANCE NO. 549 (1972 Series) AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE INSTALLATION, ALTERATION, RENOVATION, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF ELECTRICAL AND SIGNAL EQUIPMENT WITHIN, ON AND AROUND BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES IN THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA; PROVIDING FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PERMITS AND COLLECTION OF FEES THEREFOR; PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION THEREOF; OUTLINING OCCUPANCY GROUPS; ESTABLISHING SPECIAL PROVISIONS; AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES AND PARTS OF ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT THEREWITH. BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of San Luis Obispo as follows: SECTION 1. San Luis Obispo Municipal Code sections 8310 and all subsections thereof and 8320 and all subsections thereof are hereby repealed. SECTION 2. Section 8310, subsections 8310.1 through 8310.13, section 8320, section 8330, subsections 8330.1 through 8330.6, and section 8340 are hereby added to the San Luis Obispo Municipal Code as follows: (Begins on Page 1) (i) ARTICLE VIII, CHAPTER 3, ELECTRICAL REvULATIONS INDEX (L 1) PART I - GENERAL PROVISIONS SECTION 8310 ADMINISTRATION 8310.1 ENFORCEMENT 8310.2 PERMITS 8310.3 FEES 8310.4 INSPECTION & CERTIFICATES 8310.5 CONNECTION TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY 8310.6 ALTERATIONS & ADDITIONS 8310.7 RESPONSIBILITY 8310.8 INTERPRETATION 8310.9 PENALTIES 8310.10 VIOLATIONS 8310.11 PROHIBITIONS 8310.12 VALIDITY 8310.13 APPEALS PART II - OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATIONS SECTION 8320 GROUPS & DESCRIPTIONS PART III - SPECIAL PROVISIONS SECTION 8330 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 8330.1 STANDARDS FOR MATERIALS 8330.2 TEMPORARY ELECTRICAL POWER 8330.3 COMBINATION CIRCUITS 8330.4 OCCUPANCY WIRING REQUIREMENTS 8330.5 BRANCH CIRCUIT PANELS, LOCATION 8330.6 EXPANSION SPACES PART IV - NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE, ADOPTION SECTION 8340 ADOPTION OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE (L 1) ARTICLE VIII - ELECTRICAL REGULATIONS CHAPTER 3, PART 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS SECTION 8310 ADMINISTRATION SECTION 8310.1 Enforcement A. This Code shall be administered by the Planning and Building Department. B. It shall be the duty of the Chief Building Inspector to enforce the provisions of this Code. He shall upon application grant permits for the installation or alteration of electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus and equipment, and shall make inspections of all new electrical installations and reinspection of all electrical installations, all as provided in this Code. C. The Chief Building Inspector may delegate any of his powers or duties to any of his assistants. D. The Building Department may request the electric utility company to discontinue service to any occupancy where dangerous wiring or equipment is in operation unless such condition is corrected to the satisfaction of the Building Inspector within three (3) days of notice served on the occupant and /or owner. E. The Building Inspector shall have a right during reasonable hours to enter any building in the discharge of his official duties, or for the purpose of making any inspection, rein - spection or test of the installation of electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus and equipment contained therein, except that the Inspector is not empowered to enter any dwelling while the same is occupied as a dwelling, without the consent of the occupant thereof. The Inspector shall have the authority to cut or disconnect any wire in case of emergency where necessary for safety to life or property, or where such wire may interfere with the work of the Fire Department. Said inspector is hereby authorized to disconnect or order discon- tinuance of electrical service to any electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment found to be dangerous to life or property because they are defective or defectively installed until such electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus and equipment and their installation have been made safe and approved by said Inspector. (1) _. SECTION 8310.2 PERMITS A. General. No electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment shall be installed within or on any building, structure or premises, nor shall any alteration or addition be made in any such existing electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment without first securing a permit therefor from the Department of Planning and Building, City of San Luis Obispo. EXCEPTIONS: 1. No permit shall be required for the replacement of lamps or the connection of portable appliances to suitable recept- acles which have been permanently installed. 2. No permit shall be required for the installation, alteration or repair of electrical wiring, devices, appliances, appar- atus or equipment for the operation of signals or the transmission of intelligence (not including the control of lighting or appliance circuits) where such electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment operate at a voltage not exceeding 25 volts between conductors and do not include generating or transforming equipment capable of supplying more than 50 watts of energy. 3. No permit shall be required for the installation, alteration or repair of electrical wiring, devices, appliances, appar- atus or equipment installed by or for any public utility, municipal corporation or public district for the use of such utility, municipal corporation or public district in the generation, transmission, distribution or metering of electrical energy or in the operation of signals or the transmission of intelligence in the exercise of its function as a serving utility. 4. No permit shall be required for the installation of temporary wiring for testing electrical apparatus or equipment. Application for such permit, describing the work to be done, shall be made in writing to the Planning and Building Department by the person, firm or corporation installing the work. The application shall be accompanied by such plans, specifications and schedules as may be necessary to determine whether the installation as described will be in conformity with the require- (2) ments of this Code. If it shall be found that the installation as described will in general coniorin with the reeuirements of this Code and if the applicant has complied with all provisions of this Code, a permit for such installation shall be issued; provided, however, that the issuance of the permit shall not be taken as permission to violate any of the reouirements of this Code or any other Laws and /or Ordinances of the City, State or Federal Government Code. The permit, when issued, shall be for such installation as is described in the application and no deviation shall be made from the installation so described without the prior written approval of the Chief Building Inspector. Expiration: Every permit issued by the Building 2fficial under the provisions of this Code shall expire by limitation and become null and void if the work authorized by such permit is not commenced within 60 days from the date of such permit. Every permit shall automatically expire eighteen (18) months after date of issue and shall be renewable at the discretion of Official the Building Beparement by payment of one -half (1/2) of the original Building Permit fee. EXCEPTION: 1. Work for which a permit has been issued and which has been continuous for the specified time, may be extended with the Building Department's approval. B. Qualified Electricians. All electrical work within the City, conducted within, on or around Occupancy Groups A through H, as defined in Part 2 of this Chapter, shall be performed by or under the supervision of an experienced journeyman electrician. C. Special Residential Owner's Permit. The Chief Building Inspector may issue to an individual a special residential owner's permit authorizing said individual to install, alter, change or repair any electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or eouip- went in, on or about a dwelling of which said individual is owner and in which he resides or intends to reside, but not elsewhere. D. Maintenance Electricians. In lieu of an individual permit for each installation or alteration, an annual permit may, upon application therefor, be issued to any person, firm or corpor- ation regularly employing one or more electricians for the (3) ir-- allation and maintenance of ele— rical wiring, dellices, appliances, appraratus or eruipment on premises owned or occupied by the applicant for the permit. The application for such annual permit shall be made in writing; to the Planning and Building Department and shall contain a description of the premises within which work is to be done under the permit. Within not more than fifteen (15) days following the end of each calendar month, the person, firm or corporation to which an annual permit is issued, shall transmit to the Chief "Inspector a report of all electrical work which has been done under the annual permit during the preceding month. E. The reouirements of this Code are hereby specifically declared to govern and control the installation, alteration or repair of any electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or e ^uip- ment in any building or structures owned or controlled by any private, public or quasi- public agency except as to such elec- trical T7iring as is specifically exempt under this section. SECTION 8310.3 Fees for Permits and Inspection Any person desiring an Electrical Permit, a separate electrical in- spection, or a Maintenance Electrician's Permit shall, at the time of riling an application therefor, pay a fee in such amount as may be established therefor from time to time by resolution of the Council. Where work is commenced prior to obtaining a permit, a double fee shall be charged. No permit shall be issued to any person, firm, corporation or political subdivision unless all fees due are paid in full. This provision shall not apply to emergency work when it shall be proved to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Inspector that such work was urgently necessary and that it i.Yas not practical to obtain a permit therefor before the commencement of work. SECTION 8310.4 Inspection and Certificates Upon completion of the work which has been authorized by issuance of any permit, it shall be the duty of the person, firm or corporation installing the same to notify the Building Department, who shall arrange for inspection of the installation within 48 hours; exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays; of the time such notice is received by the Building Department or as soon thereafter as practicable. Where the Inspector .finds the installation to be in conformity with the provisions of this Code, he shall issue and deliver to the person, firm or corporation making the installation a certificate of approval, authorizing the use of the installation and connection to the source of supply, and shall immediately send 1 written notice of such autl6r'izatioh to the e12cttical utility furnishing the electric service. If upon inspection the install- ation is not found to be fully in conformity with the provisions of this Code, the Inspector shall at once notify in writing the person, firm or corporation making the installation, which said notice shall specify the defects which have been found to exist. All defects shall be corrected within ten days after inspection and notification, or within other reasonable time as permitted by the Chief Inspector. When a certificate of approval is issued authorizing the connection and use of temporary work, such certificate shall be issued to expire at a time to be stated thereon and shall be revocable by the Chief Inspector for cause. A preliminary certificate of approval may be issued authorizing the connection and use of certain specific portions of an incompleted installation; such certificate shall be revocable at the discretion of the Chief Inspector. When any part of a wiring installation is to be hidden from view by the permanent placement of parts of the building, the person, firm or corporation installing the wiring shall give twenty -four (24) hours notice to the Building Inspector by requesting an inspection, and such part of the wiring installation shall not be concealed until it has been inspected and approved by the Inspector; provided that on large installations, where the concealment of parts of the wiring proceeds continuously, the person, firm or corporation install- ing the wiring shall give the Building Department due notice and inspections shall be made periodically during the progress of the work. The Inspector shall have the authority to require the removal of any obstruction that prevents proper inspection of any electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment. SECTION 8310.5 Connection to Electrical Energy It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to make connection from a source of electrical energy or to supply electrical service to any electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment until a permit has been issued and the installation has been inspected and approved by the Building Department. EXCEPTION: Work done under a Maintenance Electrician's permit. (6) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to make connections from a source of electrical energy or to supply electrical service to any electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment which has been disconnected or ordered to be disconnected or the use of which has been ordered by the Chief Inspector to be discontinued until a permit has been issued, the work or equipment has been inspected and a certificate of approval has been issued by him authorizing the reconnection and use of such electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus or equipment. SECTION 8310.6 Alterations and Additions A. Additions or extensions to, and alterations and renewals of existing installations shall be made in compliance with the provisions of this Code. B. When a building is remodeled or extended to the extent of twice its assessed valuation, or the total electrical load is increased by more than fifty percent (SO%), the whole electrical system shall be brought up to the requirements of this Code. C. When the occupancy classification of a building changes, the electrical system of the portion affected shall be brought up to the requirements for the new occupancy. SECTION 8310.7 Responsibility This Code shall not be construed to relieve from or lessen the responsibility of any party owning, operating, controlling or installing any electrical wiring, devices, appliances, apparatus, or equipment for damages to person or property caused by defects therein, nor shall the local agency enforcing this Code be held as assuming any such liability by reason of the inspection authorized herein, or certificate of inspection and approval issued as herein provided. SECTION 8310.8 Interpretation The language used in this Code is intended to convey the common and accepted meaning familiar to the Electrical Industry. The Chief Inspector is hereby authorized to determine the intent and meaning of any provision of this Code. Such determination shall be made in writing and a record kept, which shall be open to the public. SECTION 8130.9 Penalties Any person, firm, or corporation, violating any of the provisions of this Code shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, (7) shall be punishable by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment for a period of not more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. SECTION 8310.10 Violations Every person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this Code shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each day or portion thereof during which such violation continued and shall be punishable therefor as herein provided. SECTION 8310.11 Prohibitions It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation, either as owner, architect, contractor, artisan or otherwise, to do or knowingly to cause or permit to be done any electrical wiring as defined in this Code in such manner that the same shall not conform to all of the provisions of this Code.. SECTION 8310.12 Validity If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is, for any reason, held to be unconstitutional or legally ineffective, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. The legislative body of the City of San Luis Obispo, which has enacted it declares that it would have adopted this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase thereof, irres- pective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared unconstitutional or legally ineffective. SECTION 8310.13 Appeals Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Department may within five (5) days after such decision, appeal in writing to the Building Construction Board of Appeals, which shall meet within ten (10) days to consider such appeal. A further appeal may be made in writing to the City Council within five (5) days of the decision of the Board. Such appeal shall be heard at the next regular meeting of the Council. CHAPTER 3 - PART II - OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION SECTION 8320 Group Description of Occupancy A Any assembly building with a stage and an occupant load of 1000 or more in the building. B 1. Any assembly building with a stage and an occupant load of less than 1000 in the building.. (8) L Any assembly building vitHont a stage and hAving.an occupant load of 300 or mdre in the building including such buildings used for educational purposes less than 12 hours per week or four hours in any one day and not classed as a Group C or Group F, Division 2 Occupancy. 3. Any assembly building without a stage and having an occupant load of less than 300 in the building, including such buildings used for educational purposes less than 12 hours per week or four hours in any one day and not classed as a Group C or Group F, Division 2, Occupancy. 4. Stadiums, reviewing stands, and amusement park structures not included within Group A nor Divisions .1, 2 and 3, Group B, Occupancies. C 1. Any building used for educational purposes through the 12th grade by 50 or more persons for more than 12 hours per week or four hours in any one day. 2. Any building used for educational purposes through the 12th grade by less than 50 persons for more than 12 hours per week or four hours in any one day. 3. Any building used for day care purposes for more than 6 children. D 1. Mental hospitals, mental sanitariums, jails, prisons, reformatories, houses of correction, and buildings where personal liberties of inmates are similarly restrained. 2. Nurseries for full -time care of children under kinder- garten age. Hospitals, sanitariums, nursing homes with nonambulatory patients, and similar buildings (each accommodating more than five persons). 3. Nursing homes for ambulatory patients, homes for children of kindergarten age or over (each accommodating more than five persons.) E 1. Storage and handling of hazardous and highly inflam- mable or explosive materials other than flammable liquids. 2. Storage and handling of Class I, II and III flammable liquids, as specified in U.B.C. Standard No. 9 -1; dry cleaning plants using flammable liquids, paint stores with bulk handling; paint shops and splay painting rooms and shops. 3. Woodworking establishments, planing mills and box factories; shops, factories where loose, combustible fibers or dust are manufactured, processed, or generated; warehouses where highly combustible material is stored. 4. Repair garages. 5. Aircraft repair hangers. F 1. Gasoline and service stations, storage garages where no repair work is done except exchange of parts and maintenance requiring no open flame, welding, or the use of highly flammable liouids. 2. Wholesale and retail stores, office buildings, drinking and dining establishments having an occupant load of less than 100, printing plants, municipal police and fire stations, factories and workshops using material not highly flammable or combustible, storage and sales rooms for combustible goods, paint stores without bulk handling. Buildings or portions of buildings having rooms used for educational purposes, beyond the 12th grade with less than 50 occupants in any room. (9) 3. Aircraft hail ai r6 where no repair. work is done except exchange of piaits acid maintenance,reauiring no open flame, welding, or the use of highly flammable linuids. Open parking garages. (For requirements, see Section 1109.) G Ice plants, power plants, pumping plants, cold storage and creameries, factories and workshops using noncombustible and nonexplosive materials. Storage and sales rooms of non- combustible and nonexplosive materials. H Hotels and apartment houses. Convents, monasteries (each accommodating more than 10 persons). I Dwellings and lodging houses. J 1. Private garages, carports, sheds and agricultural buildings used as accessories only when not over 1000 square feet in area. 2. Fences over 6 feet high, tanks and towers. CHAPTER 3 - PART III - SPECIAL PROVISIONS SECTION 8330 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS SECTION 8330.1 Standards for Materials A. All electrical materials, devices, appliances, apparatus and equipment installed or used, shall be in conformity with the provisions of this Code and with approved standards for safety to life and property. B. Listing or labeling, as conforming to the Standards of the Underwriter's Laboratories, Inc., the National Bureau of Standards, the United States Bureau of Mines, or other nation- ally recognized laboratories, shall be prima facie evidence of conformity with the approved standards for safety to life and property. C. Previously used material shall not be reused in any work without the written approval obtained in advance from the Chief Inspector. SECTION 8330.2 Temporary Electrical Power No electric service from a temporary power pole may be used to supply electricity to a building designed to have a permanent electrical service installed thereon. SECTION 8330,3 Combination Circuits Lighting and receptacle circuits shall not be combined. EXCEPTION: Lighting and /or receptacle outets in attics, basements, private garages and accessory buildings may be combined on one circuit. Such circuits shall be supplied by branch circuits of not less than twenty (20) amp, capacity. (lo> SECTION 8330.4 Occupancy Wiring Requirements A. All wiring in "A" through "G" occupancies, as defined in Part II of this Chapter shall be installed in rigid metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, flexible metal conduit, underfloor raceways of approved insulating material, cellular metal floor raceways, surface metal raceways, wireways, busways or auxiliary gutters. B. In "H" occupancies, as defined in Part II of this Chapter, when required to be of Fire Resistive Construction throughout, wiring shall be as in Subsection (A.) of this section. C. All wiring in "H ", "I ", and "J" occupancies, as defined in Part II of this Chapter, located in Fire Zone #1, shall be wired as in Subsection (A) of this section. When located in Fire Zones #2 or #3, and not requiring fire resistive construction through- out, they may be wired by any approved method which provides continuous grounding. D. In mixed occupancies, the most restrictive type wiring shall prevail throughout the building. E. In single family dwellings, approved raceways or suitable wiring, for all spare remaining circuits, shall be provided to an accessible location as follows: 1. In slab floor buildings, 2 -l" raceways into the attic space. 2. In raised first floor buildings, 1 -1" raceway into the attic space and 1 -1" raceway into the underfloor space. SECTION 8330.5 Branch Circuit Panels, Locations Branch Circuit panels shall be installed for each occupancy, in the interior thereof except in single family dwellings. No branch circuit panel or protective devices shall be installed in bathrooms, toilet rooms, lavatories, clothes closets, janitors closets, laundry closets, pantries and similar type closets, or water heater compart- ments. SECTION 8330.6 Expansion Space In all new construction, branch circuit panels shall be sized to provide four (4) full size spare circuit spaces for future expansion purposes. (11) CHAPTER 3 - PART IV - NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE ADOPTION SECTION 8340 ADOPTION OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE A document, three (3) copies of which are on file in the office of the City Clerk of the City of San Luis Obispo, identified by the Seal of the City appearing thereon, being marked and designated as the "National Electric Code ", 1971 Edition, published by the National Fire Protection Association, is hereby adopted as the Electrical Regulations of the City of San Luis Obispo and made a part hereof as if fully set out in this Ordinance. (12) SECTION 3. This Ordinance, together with the ayes and noes, shall be published once in full, at least three days before its final passage, in the Telegram- Tribune, a newspaper published and circulated in said City, and the same shall go into effect at the expiration of thirty (30) days after its said final passage. INTRODUCED AND PASSED TO PRINT at a Regular Council Meeting on the 1st day of May 1972, on motion of Mayor Schwartz , seconded by Councilman Blake , and on the following roll call vote: AYES: Councilmen Blake, Brown, Graham, Gurnee and Mayor Schwartz NOES: None ABSENT: None ATTEST: 0 (iii) 0 549 PI J:ILLY PASSED this 15th day of _ May , 1972 , by the following roll call vote: AYLS: Councilmen Blake, Brown, Grahame Gurnee and Mayor Schwartz ;lor.S: None ABSENT- None ATTEST: