Haw. Code R. § 12-220-16 - Inspections and tests

(a) The department shall inspect to insure compliance with chapter 397, HRS, any activity related to the erection, construction, alteration, repair, or maintenance of facilities containing pressure retaining items. The department may authorize special inspectors exclusively employed by insurance companies who shall inspect pressure retaining items insured by the insurance companies and special inspectors exclusively employed by approved OUIOs who shall only inspect pressure retaining items owned and operated by the OUIO. All equipment required by this section to be inspected are exempt from the requirements of this chapter if under the jurisdiction of the United States government, or if serving only a private residence and not accessible to the public, except where the location could affect persons other than the owner and meet the requirements of section 12-220-2.1(c).

(b) All inspections and witnessing of tests for pressure retaining items as required pursuant to this part, shall be made in conformance with the procedures set forth in the ASME BPVC, the NBIC, and this part. Where notations of discrepancies, recommendations, or requirements are made, these notations shall refer to the applicable rule of the ASME BPVC, the NBIC, and this part.

(c) Power boilers shall receive a permit following an annual permit renewal internal inspection upon approval by the chief boiler inspector. An external inspection shall be performed approximately six months after each internal inspection.

(d) Miniature electric boilers shall receive a permit renewal inspection biennially. An internal inspection may be performed by the inspector pursuant to NBIC, Part 2 requirements, when necessary.

(e) Heating boilers shall receive permit renewal inspections as follows:

(1) Steam or vapor boilers with a heating surface of twenty (20) or less square feet shall have an external inspection every two years. An internal inspection may be conducted pursuant to NBIC, Part 2 requirements, when necessary, and where the construction of the boiler permits;

(2) Steam or vapor boilers, with a heating surface greater than twenty (20) square feet and less than or equal to one hundred (100) square feet, shall be externally inspected every two years and internally inspected at least every four years;

(3) Steam or vapor boilers with any one of the following criteria: a manway, a Btu input greater than 400,000, or a heating surface greater than one hundred (100) square feet, shall receive a permit following an annual internal inspection upon approval by the chief boiler inspector. An external_inspection shall be performed approximately six months after each internal inspection;

(4) Hot-water heating boilers, hot-water supply boilers, and potable water heaters shall have an external inspection every two years, and where construction of the unit permits, an internal inspection may be conducted in lieu of the external inspection pursuant to NBIC, Part 2 requirements, when necessary;

(5) Pool heaters shall have an external inspection every two years; and

(6) All non-code, nonstandard, or State special boilers and water heaters installed or operated in schools shall be externally inspected every two years and shall comply with the installation requirements of section 12-220-2.1. These objects are designated as state specials and shall be issued a permit to operate. An inspection and permit to operate fee will be assessed for the inspection of these objects.

(f) All pressure vessels shall receive a permit renewal inspection every two years and as follows:

(1) Unfired jacketed steam kettles with a cooking capacity of forty (40) gallons or more, or steam chambers exceeding five (5) cubic feet in volume receiving steam from an external source, shall receive a permit inspection every two years;

(2) All non-code, nonstandard, or state special pressure vessels installed or operated in schools shall be externally inspected every two years and shall comply with the installation requirements of section 12-220-2.1. These objects will be designated as state specials and be issued a permit to operate upon approval by the chief boiler inspector. An inspection and permit to operate fee will be assessed for the inspection of these objects;

(3) An internal inspection may be performed pursuant to NBIC, Part 2 requirements, when necessary; and

(4) Pressure vessels used for the treatment of wood shall be scrubbed clean for close visual inspection every ten years.

(g) Boilers and pressure vessels that are under the supervision of an OUIO shall be inspected in accordance with the NBIC and this part.

(h) Based upon documentation of actual service conditions by the owner or user of the operating equipment, the department may, at its discretion, permit variations in the inspection frequency requirement pursuant to section 12-220-33.1.

(i) Power boilers having continuous internal water treatment under the general supervision of a qualified engineer or chemist, having a minimum of five years' experience in the treatment of boiler water, at least one year of which shall have been on the boiler or boilers in that person's supervision, where the water treatment is for the purpose of controlling and limiting serious corrosion and other deteriorating factors, may, upon approval of the director, be given permit inspections at intervals of not more than three years, in which case external inspections shall be performed at approximately six month intervals between the internal inspections.

(1) The owner or user of a power boiler subject to this part shall keep an accurate record of the samples of boiler water taken at regular intervals not greater than twenty-four (24) hours of operation. The owner or user shall also keep a record of the date and actual time that boilers were out of service and the reasons therefore. All records mentioned in this section are to be made available by the owner or user to the inspector for examination upon request;

(2) When a biennial internal inspection is desired by a power boiler owner or user subject to this section, a written application for consideration shall be made to the department. The application shall contain the following information:

(A) Use of the boiler;

(B) Boiler technical data, name of manufacturer, and all identifying numbers;

(C) Name and pertinent qualifications of the qualified engineer or chemist in charge of water treatment;

(D) The laboratory facilities used for testing and analyzing boiler water;

(E) The boiler water analysis standards established and achieved over the preceding twelve (12) month period;

(F) Method and frequency of sampling water;

(G) Percentage of makeup water;

(H) Record of boiler outages occurring since the last internal inspection; and

(I) The biennial inspection report by a qualified boiler inspector relating to the acceptability of the boiler; and

(3) Upon approval of the application by the department, the expiration date of the current annual operating permit shall be extended for a period of one year. Subsequent permits shall be issued to expire annually and may be extended for not more than one year provided the boiler reports submitted to the department, at periods as shall be required, indicate that the approved standards and codes are being maintained and if all other conditions are being met.

(j) The following shall apply to the notification of unsafe pressure retaining items:

(1) If an inspector, upon first inspection of a new risk, finds that a pressure retaining item, or any appurtenance thereof, is in a condition that is unsafe, the company shall immediately notify the department; and

(2) If, upon inspection, an inspector finds a pressure retaining item to be unsafe, the inspector shall promptly notify the owner or user, stating what repairs or other corrective measures are required to bring the object into compliance with these rules. Unless the owner or user makes repairs or adopts other corrective measures promptly, the inspector shall immediately notify the department. Unless timely corrections have been made, no further operation of the pressure retaining item shall be permitted. If an operating permit for the object is required and is in force, it shall be suspended by the inspector if timely corrections have not been made. When re-inspection establishes that the necessary repairs have been made or corrective actions have been taken and that the pressure retaining item is safe to operate, the department shall issue an operating permit.

(k) When defective conditions are disclosed during the inspection, or there is evidence of a leak or crack, adequate access shall be provided to permit the inspector to satisfactorily determine the safety of the pressure retaining item.

(l) Permit inspections, as required in section 12-220-15, shall be carried out prior to the expiration date of the certificate at a time mutually agreeable to the inspector and owner or user. External inspections may be performed by the inspector during reasonable hours and without prior notification. When, because of an external inspection or determination by other objective means, it is the inspector's opinion that continued operation of the pressure retaining item constitutes a danger to personnel or property, the inspector may request an internal inspection or an appropriate pressure test, or both, to evaluate conditions. In these instances, the owner or user shall prepare the pressure retaining item for inspections or tests as the inspector requires.

(m) The following requirements shall apply to the submission of inspection reports:

(1) Inspectors shall submit to the department an inspection report on Form NB-5 of the NBIC, or similar forms approved by the department, for each pressure retaining item subject to chapter 397, HRS. Complete data shall be submitted for each nonstandard pressure retaining item;

(2) Subsequent inspections by qualified inspectors of both standard and nonstandard pressure retaining items shall be reported on Forms NB-6 and NB-7 of the NBIC, or similar forms approved by the department;

(3) Inspection reports following the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be submitted within thirty (30) days from the date of the inspection; and

(4) Owner-user inspection organizations shall file reports pursuant to section 12-220-19.

(n) Notification by insurance companies. All insurance companies shall notify the department within thirty (30) days on all pressure retaining items for which insurance is written, canceled, or not renewed.

(o) If during a routine inspection by an inspector, a pressure retaining item is found to have discrepancies, the length of time for temporary use of the item, and the correction of the discrepancies will be at the discretion of the inspector, but no more than ninety (90) days. A follow up inspection shall be made by the inspector in a timely manner and the department notified. The nonconforming safety devices shall be immediately replaced or the operation of the pressure retaining item shall be suspended. Follow up inspections not performed by special inspectors within the time prescribed by the department may be conducted by the department. The authorized inspection agency shall be invoiced at $150 per hour with a minimum of two hours charged.

Notes

Haw. Code R. § 12-220-16

[Eff 12/6/82; am 12/8/86; am and ren § 12-220-16 and comp 12/6/90; am 7/6/98 am, 6/19/00; am NOV 18 2012] (Auth: HRS § 397-4) (Imp: HRS § 397-4) Am and comp 12/21/2019 Am and comp 9/8/2024