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19661220 1996-20ORDINANCE NO. 1966-20 CITY OF FAIRFAX VIRGINIA INDEX Sect ion 9-A.1 Section 9-A.2 Section 9-A.3 Section 9-A.4 Section 9-A.5 Section 9-A.6 Section 9-A.7 Section 9-A.8 Section 9-A.9 Standards of Safety. Compliance with, adoption of and amendments to NBFU Pamphlet No. 54 relative to installation of piping and appliances. Installation, alteration or repair of gas piping or equipment - permit required; exception as to minor repairs. Same - To be done by master plumber or master gas fitter; exception as to person doing own work in single-family dwelling. Plumbing Board - Establishment of standards and qualifications for. persons applying for certificates of registration. Same - Re-examination. Same - Examination Fee. Master gas litter's certificate of registration - application; fees. Same - Bond prerequisite for certificate of registration issuance. Section 9-A.10 Same - Expiration and renewal of certificates of registration issued by board. Section 9-A.11 Same - Holder of certificate of registration to furnish board with name, address and telephone number of place of business. Section 9-A.12 Same - Revocation of certificates of registration. Section 9-A.13 Same - Use of holders name by another. Section 9-A.14 Master plumbers holding valid plumber's certificate of registration on effective date of chapter qualified to make gas installations. Section 9-A.15 Inspections - generally. Section 9-A.16 Same - Charge for additional inspection made necessary because of failure to be ready for inspection when ordered, etc. Section 9-A.17 Emergency and temporary repairs. Section 9-A.18 Turning on Or reconnection of gas service. Section 9-A.19 Determination that adequate facilities are present to supply gas to appliance prerequisite to installation. Section 9-A.20 Liability for damages. Section 9-A.21 Enforcement of chapter. Section 2 Section 3 Section 4 Penalties. Validity. Effective date. ORDINANCE NO. 1966-20 CHAPTER 9-A OF THE CITY CODE Be it Ordained and Enacted by the City Council of the City of Falrfax, Virginia, that: There is hereby adopted Chapter 9-A of the City Code, for the purpose of safeguarding life and property by regulating and providing for the inspection of gas piping, appliances and equipment, certificates of registration, permits and fees; and providing penalties for violations thereof in the City of Falrfax, State of Virginia. Section 9-A.1 STANDARDS OF SAFETY. All gas piping, appliances and accessories hereinafter installed, sold'or offered for sale shall conform to reasonable standards of safety. The presence on a gas appliance or accessory of a safety seal or label of a nationally recognized testing agency or a certificate or letter of approval from such agency or the inclusion of an appliance or accessory in an approved listing by such shall be prima facie evidence that such appliance or accessory conforms to reasonable standards of safety. Such nationally recognized testing agency shall be one qualified and equipped to perform and one that does perform periodic inspections of current models of gas appliances and accessories. Section 9-A.2 COMPLIANCE WITH, ADOPTION OF AND AMENDMENTS TO NBFU PAMPHLET NO. 54 RELATIVE TO INSTALLATION OF PIPING AND APPLIANCES. Beginning at the meter outlet, or service regulator, if no meter ~s provided, the installation of all piping, appliances and accessories complying with the standards of the National Board of Fire Underwriters for the installation of Gas Piping and Gas Appliances in Buildings, Pamphlet No. 54, 1964 Edition, shall be considered prima facie as conforming to reasonable standards of safety, the provisions of which are incorporated herein by reference as though set out in full; Pg. 2 and the plumbing inspector shall keep available in his office copies thereof for study and'inspection by interested parties, (a) Paragraph 2,8,3 (b), '~Piping in Floors" is amended by adding the following: Steel and wrought iron pipe shall be mill wrapped, and steel and wrought iron fittings and joints shall be suitably coated and wrapped, Screwed pipe joints shall not be imbedded in solid f]oors, Section 9-A,3 INSTALLATION, ALTERATION OR REPAIR OF GAS PIPING OR EQUIPMENT - PERMIT REQUIRED; EXCEPTION AS TO MI'NOR REPAIRS, It shall be un]awful for any person to install, alter or repair, or allow to be installed, altered or repaired, gas piping, appliances or accessories without obtaining a permit therefor from the chief plumbing inspector, except that minor repairs may be made without a permit, but must be done in accordance with this Chapter and by a person qualified by this Chapter, Adjustment of app]iances, replacement of parts, and repairing of ]eaks are considered minor repairs, Section 9-A,4 SAME - TO BE DONE BY MASTER PLUMBER OR MASTER GAS FITTER; EXCEPTION AS TO PERSON DOING OWN WORK IN SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING, It shall be unlawful for any person to install, alter or repair or allow to' be installed, altered or repaired, gas piping or equipment, unless issued a certificate of registration as a master plumber or master gas fitter, except that any permit required by this Chapter may be issued to a person to do his own work in a single- family dwelling, used exclusively for residential purposes, including usual accessory buildings; provided that the person is the bona fide owner of such dwelling and that the same will be occupied by the owner and that the owner shall personally purchase a]] materla] and perform a]] labor in connection therewith and comply with this Chapter; provided, further, that the employees of gas supplier shall not be required to have a certificate of registration or permit to do gas work on the premises, property or equipment owned or controlled by the gas supplier, Pg. 3 Section 9-A.$ PLUHBING BOARD - ESTABLISHHENT OF STANDARDS AND QUALIFICATIONS FOR PERSONS APPLYING FOR CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION. The Board of Plumbing Examiners shal] establish the standards and qualifications for persons applying to the board for certificates of registration, may require oral or written examinations or both, and sha]] determine the qualifications and standards to be required of persons who receive certificates of registration. The Board shall issue an appropriate certificate of registration to each person who meets the qua]ifications therefor and successful]y passes, the examination given by the Board. The Board shall keep an officia] record of the examination. Section 9-A.6 SAHE - RE-EXAHINATION. Any person who fai]s to pass an examination as prescribed by the Board of Plumbing Examiners may apply for re-examination after the expiration of thirty days upon payment of the regular examination fee. Section 9-A.7 SAME - EXAMINATION FEE. Examination fees for a master gas litter's certificate of registration sha]] be ten dollars. Payment of such fee is to accompany the application. Examination fees are not returnable. Section 9-A.8 MASTER GAS FITTER'S CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION - APPLICATION; FEES. Any person desiring to be issued a certificate of registration as a master gas fitter shall make written application to the Board of Plumbing Examiners as provided in the Plumbing Code. Application for a permit for gas fitting work shall be made on suitable forms provided by the chief plumbing inspector. The form sha]l show a ]ayout of the proposed installation, giving the pipe sizes and equipment sizes, ors in place of this layout, an engineer's drawing may be submitted with the application. The application shall also be accompanied by fees in accordance with the schedule of fees as follows: Gas fittings in new construction, five dollars plus one dollar for each appliance outlet, Additional gas fitting in old installation, three dollars plus Pg. 4 seventy-five cents for each appllance outlet; replacing gas appliances on existing gas piping, three dollars. It shall also be the responsibility of the plumber or gas fitter to make sure the work to be inspected is complete and will stand the prescribed test. Section 9-A.9 SAME - BOND PREREQUISITE FOR CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION ISSUANCE. A person who has been issued a master gas litter's certificate of registration shall execute and deposit with the City of Fairfax a bond in the sum of one thousand dollars; such bond to be so conditioned that all gas work performed by the holder or under his supervision shall be performed in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter. A master gas litter's certificate of registration shall not be issued unless a bond is executed. Section 9-A. lO SAME - EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION ISSUED BY BOARD. All certificates of registration issued by the Board of Plumbing Examiners shall expire December thirty-first of the year for which issued, but may be renewed upon payment of the annual fee of ten dollars before expiration. Expired certificates of registration may be renewed within thirty days upon payment of the ten dollar fee and a penalty of fifteen dollars. Any person carrying a Master Plumber's certificate of registration shall pay only the fees prescribed in the Plumbing Code for Master Plumbers. Section 9-A.11 SAME - HOLDER OF CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION TO FURNISH BOARD WITH NAME, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER OF PLACE OF BUSINESS. Every person issued a certificate of registration under this Chapter shall plainly letter his trucks with name, address and Master Gas Fitter's registration number, and list with the Board the name, address and telephone number of his place of business and if there is any change in address or telephone number, he shall promptly notify the Board of any such change. Section 9-A.12 SAME - REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION. The Board of Plumbing Examiners may revoke any certificate of registration if obtained through nondisclosure, misstatement or representation of a material fact, or if a penalty has been imposed upon the holder under any section of this Pg. 5 Chapter. Before any certificate of registration may be revoked, the holder shall have notice, in writing, enumerating the charges against him and be entitled to a hearing by the Board not sooner than five days from receipt of the notice. The holder shall be given an opportunity to present testimony, oral or written, and shall have the right of cross examination. All testimony shall be given under oath. The Board shall have the power to administer oaths, issue subpeonas and compel the attendance of witnesses. The decision of the Board shall be based upon the evidence produced at the hearing and made part of the record thereof. A person whose certificate of registration has been revoked shall not be permitted to apply for renewal within one year from date of revocation. Section 9-A.13 SAME - USE OF H6LDERS NAME BY ANOTHER. No person who has obtained a gas litter's certificate of registration shall allow his name to be used by another person, either for the purpose of obtaining permits, or for doing business or work under the certificate of registration, except that gas fitting work may be performed by a firm or corporation; provided that a member of management of the firm or corporation is a master plumber or gas fitter, qualified under this chapter, and the work is performed under his supervision. Section 9-A.14 MASTER PLUMBERS HOLDING VALID PLUMBER'S CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION ON EFFECTIVE DATE OF CHAPTER QUALIFIED TO MAKE GAS INSTALLATIONS. All master plumbers with valid City master plumber's certificate of registration on the effective date of this Chapter shall be qualified under this Chapter to make gas installations. All master plumbers' certificates of registration issued after the effective date of this Chapter shall qualify the holder thereof to make gas installations. Section 9-A.15 INSPECTIONS - GENERALLY. It shall be the duty of the plumber or gas fitter to notify the plumbing inspector not less than eight working hours before the work is to be inspected. Tests shall be made in the presence of the plumbing inspector, or his duly authorized represen- tative. Tests shall be made before concealing work. Work concealed before testing shall be uncovered. Pg. 6 Section 9-A.16 SAME - CHARGE FOR ADDITIONAL INSPECTION MADE NECESSARY BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO BE READY FOR INSPECTION WHEN ORDERED, ETC. A charge of three do)lars will be made for every additiona] inspection made necessary by failure to be ready for inspection when ordered, or faiiure to stand prescribed test. Section 9-A.17 EMERGENCY AND TEHPORARY REPAIRS. Emergency repairs may be made by a gas fitter to correct any portion of the gas company distribution system up to and inc]uding the meter. The fitter may make necessary temporary repairs, but must notify the gas supp]ier and chief plumbing inspector immediately upon completion of such temporary repairs. The gas supplier sha)) be responsib)e for the meter or service regulator valve when no meter is provided, as wel] as a)) parts of the distribution system ahead of the meter or service regu]ator va]va where no meter is provided. Section 9-A.18 TURNING ON OR RECONNECT ION OF GAS SERVICE. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation, except an authorized agent or emp]oyee of the gas supplier, to turn on, remove, insta]], or otherwise work on or tamper with any gas meter, or connect or reconnect gas service in or on any premises. It sha]] a]so be a vio]ation of this section to authorize any person or to direct any person in the course of his employment to perform any of the acts prohibited by this section. This sha]) not prohibit a person qualified by this Chapter from turning on the supp]y of gas temporari]y for the purpose of testing the insta])ation made by him or from turning on gas that he has temporari)y turned off for the purpose of connection an app]iance or making repairs. Section 9-A. I9 DETERMINATION THAT ADEQUATE FACILITIES ARE PRESENT TO SUPPLY GAS TO APPLIANCE PREREQUISITE TO INSTALLATION. It sha]] be unlawful for any person to insta]) any gas appliance without first determining from the gas supp)ier that adequate faci]ities are present to supply gas to such appliance in quantities that will assure reasonab]y safe and uninterrupted operation. Pg. 7 Section 9-A.20 LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES. Nothing in this Chapter or in the Code hereby adopted shall be construed to relieve from or lessen the responsibility or liability of any party owning, operating, controlling or installing any gas piping, appliances or equipment for damages to person or property caused by any defect therein, or to hold the City of Fairfax as assuming any such responsibility or liability by reason of the inspection authorized herein or the certificate of approval issued as herein provided. Section 9-A.21 ENFORCEMENT OF CHAPTER The provisions of this Chapter shall be enforced by the plumbing inspector, or by his authorized agent. Section 2 PENALTIES. Any person, firm, partnership or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this Chapter, or who shall fail to correct any defects within ten days after having been notified in writing by the plumbing inspector, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as provided in Section 1-7 of the City Code. Section 3 VALIDITY. If any part or parts, section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Chapter or of the Code hereby adopted is, for any reason, held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Chapter or of the Code hereby adopted. The City Council of the City of Fairfax hereby declares that it would have passed this Chapter and would have adopted said Code if such unconstitutional part or parts, section, sentence, clause, or phrase had not been included. Section 4 EFFECTIVE DATE. THIS CHAPTER SHALL BE IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT ON AND AFTER ADOPTED: December 20, 1966. ATTEST: ,~,-~. - · Cit~ Cle~k December 20, 1966. APP OVE. Mayor