[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Pennsburg 8-5-1991
by Ord. No. 7-91. Amendments noted where applicable.]
There is hereby adopted in its entirety by the municipality, copies
of which are on file in the office of the municipality, that certain Electrical
Code, known as the "National Electrical Code 1990," as published by the National
Fire Protection Association, save and except such provisions as are hereinafter
deleted, modified or amended.
The provisions of Ordinance No. 3-88 (Code Enforcement Ordinance), adopted by the municipality on December 5, 1988, are hereby incorporated by reference and readopted with this chapter. The administration and enforcement of this chapter and of the National Electrical Code 1990 adopted herein shall be carried out by the Office of Code Enforcement of the municipality, in accordance with the procedures established by Chapter 36, Code Enforcement, of the Code of the Borough of Pennsburg and by the National Electrical Code 1990 adopted herein. The term "governmental body," having legal jurisdiction over all electrical installations as used in the National Electrical Code 1990 herein adopted, shall mean "Code Enforcement Officer and/or Office of Code Enforcement," as used in Chapter 36, Code Enforcement. Said Chapter 36, Code Enforcement, provides for certain powers and duties of a Code Enforcement Officer, for the creation of a Code Hearing Board and for procedures relative to applications, fees, permits, inspections, appeals, penalties and other matters.
A.
The Code Enforcement Officer shall require that all applicants
for permits for electrical work shall furnish proof that an application for
inspection of the proposed electrical wiring or electrical apparatus has been
made to an organization (hereinafter referred to as the "Approved Electrical
Organization"), with the payment of all inspection fees and charges of such
organization being borne by the applicant.
B.
In order to qualify as an Approved Electrical Organization,
certified to perform inspections in the municipality, the organization must
file with the Office of Code Enforcement proof of liability insurance in the
amount of $500,000.
All applicants shall, within 30 days of the completion of the building,
structure or premises, obtain an electrical certificate of approval from an
approved electrical inspection agency. Whenever the inspection of the Approved
Electrical Organization shows that the provisions of the National Electrical
Code 1990 have not been complied with, said organization shall so inform the
Code Enforcement Officer. The Code Enforcement Officer shall then notify the
applicant of the steps which must be taken to achieve compliance with the
National Electrical Code 1990 before an electrical certificate of approval
can be issued. Failure to comply shall be sufficient reason for notification
of the Electric Utility Company to disconnect or refuse to connect electrical
power to the premises.
In order to provide safety against existing hazards or defective electrical
wiring and apparatus, the Code Enforcement Officer and/or his authorized representative,
including the Approved Electrical Organization referred to above, shall, when
requested by proper authority or when public interest so requires, cause inspections
to be made of any premises in the municipality to ensure that the existing
electrical wiring and apparatus is not defective or unsafe. The Code Enforcement
Officer shall notify the owner of the premises of any unsafe or defective
conditions which are found and shall require discontinuance or correction
of such conditions in accordance with the National Electrical Code 1990.
This chapter shall not apply to the following electrical work, in addition
to that outlined in Section 90-2(b) of the code.
A.
Minor repair work such as repairing or replacing fuses,
switches, receptacles, lamps or lighting fixture parts.
Persons, firms or corporations producing or supplying electrical energy for either private or public use shall not permit such electrical energy to be used in connection with or introduced into any electrical wiring, equipment or apparatus until such electrical wiring, equipment and apparatus, and the installation thereof, shall have been approved, as provided in § 41-4 hereof, and until the cut-in card certifying thereto shall have been duly issued and filed with the Office of Code Enforcement.
Approved Electrical Organizations shall maintain a current inspection
fee schedule on file with the Code Enforcement Office. The Approved Electrical
Organization shall furnish the Code Enforcement Officer a duplicate of all
cut-in cards.
Electrical wiring, equipment or apparatus may be installed, altered
or extended only under the supervision of a registered master electrician
and in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
Any person desiring to act as a registered master electrician shall
make written application therefor to the Director of Inspection and supply
him with such information relating to the applicant's qualifications,
knowledge and ability to make installations of electrical wiring, equipment
and apparatus, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, as the Inspections
Department, by duly adopted rules and regulations, may require, after satisfactory
completion of an electrical examination approved by the municipality. The
Code Enforcement Officer shall issue a license for each calendar year (or
the remaining portion thereof following the application) to any such applicant
who shall pay a fee of $50 annually.
The following section shall be added to the National Electrical Code
1990:
A.
Section 90-9. Concealing Work. Work in connection
with an electrical wiring system shall not be covered or concealed until it
has been inspected and permission to do so has been granted by the Code Enforcement
Officer.
Nothing in this chapter or in the National Electrical Code 1990 hereby
adopted shall be construed to affect any suit or proceeding now pending in
any court or any rights acquired or liability incurred or any cause or causes
of action accrued or existing under any act or ordinance repealed hereby.
No right or remedy of any character shall be lost, impaired or affected by
this chapter.
The invalidity of any section or provision of this chapter or of the
National Electrical Code 1990 hereby adopted shall not invalidate other sections
or provisions thereof.
Any ordinance or part of any ordinance conflicting with the provisions
of this chapter be and the same is hereby repealed insofar as the same affects
this chapter.
This chapter, together with the National Electrical Code 1990 adopted
herein shall be known and may be cited as the "Electrical Code of the Municipality."
