Township of West Goshen, PA Chapter 39 Electrical Standards

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of West Goshen 5-13-1998 by Ord. No. 7-1998.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Alarm devices — See Ch. 25.

Building construction — See Ch. 28.

Existing buildings — See Ch. 29.

Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 32.

Fire prevention — See Ch. 41.

Fuel gas standards — See Ch. 43.

Mechanical standards — See Ch. 49.

Plumbing — See Ch. 62.

Property maintenance — See Ch. 63.

[1] Editor’s Note: This ordinance also superseded former Ch. 39, adopted 5-15-1974 by Ord. No. 1-1974.

§ 39-1 Title.

This chapter may be known and may be cited as the "West Goshen Township Electrical Code."

§ 39-2 Adoption of standards; copies on file.

[Amended 5-26-2004 by Ord. No. 10-2004]

The Board of Supervisors of West Goshen Township hereby adopts the International Electrical Code — Administrative Provisions, 2003 Edition, as now and as hereafter supplemented, reissued, amended and revised as published by the International Code Council, Inc. Not fewer than three copies of the International Electrical Code, 2003 Edition, are filed in the office of the Secretary of West Goshen Township, and the same is hereby adopted and incorporated as fully as if set out at length herein.

§ 39-3 Definitions.

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

APPROVED ELECTRICAL INSPECTION AGENCY

An individual or entity that has been licensed and certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to perform electrical inspections and plan reviews.

[Amended 5-26-2004 by Ord. No. 10-2004]

ELECTRICAL WORK

Any installation, construction, alteration, assembly of any device, equipment, apparatus or any other object which is used or intended to be used for the transmission of an electrical energy or impulse, except when performed by or on behalf of any regulated public utility or any regulated radio or television transmission system on equipment, cables, wires or equivalent facilities or on electrical circuits connected to or supported by such equipment or facilities if the use of the equipment or facilities is required in the operations of or services rendered by the regulated entity. It shall not include the manufacturing of any device, equipment, apparatus or other object used or intended to be used for the transmission of an electrical energy or impulse but shall include electrical wiring systems connected to air-conditioning equipment, protective signaling devices (fire and burglar) and swimming pools.

§ 39-4 Supplementary provisions.

The National Electrical Code is hereby supplemented by providing that whenever electrical work is to be done in connection with a gas or oil burner installation in any existing building or structure or in the construction, reconstruction, alteration or repair of buildings and structures, there shall be installed an emergency shutoff switch with a red plate thereon marked "oil burner" or "gas burner," as the case may be, at the entrance to the basement or heating room.

§ 39-5 Additions, deletions and modifications to standards.

[Added 5-26-2004 by Ord. No. 10-2004[1]]

The following amendments, additions, deletions, and changes are hereby made to the ICC Electrical Code, 2003 Edition:

A. Section 101.1 shall be amended by the deletion of the words "[NAME OF JURISDICTION]" and the replacement thereof with "West Goshen Township."

B. Section 202 shall be amended by deleting the definition of "approved agency" and replacing it with the following definition:

APPROVED ELECTRICAL INSPECTION AGENCY. An individual or entity that has been licensed and certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to perform electrical inspections and plan reviews.

C. The heading of Section 301 shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: "SECTION 301 ENFORCEMENT."

D. Section 301.1 shall be amended to state as follows:

301.1 General. The Board of Supervisors shall, by resolution, appoint a Building Code Official who shall be certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under the Act. The Building Code Official shall be responsible for administration and enforcement of this Code. The Building Code Official shall be assisted by one or more Building Officials who shall also be appointed by the Board of Supervisors and certified by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under the Act. The Building Code Officials and building official shall be referred to in this Code as "Code Officials."

E. Section 302.5 shall be amended to read as follows:

	302.5 Inspections and tests.
	A.	Inspection and tests to determine whether the provisions of the International Electrical Code, 2003 Edition, and this chapter have been complied with shall be made by the Building Code Official and/or his deputy building officials and an approved electrical inspection agency. Upon completion of any electrical work, a certificate of inspection and approval issued by an approved electrical inspection agency shall be furnished to the Building Code Official no later than 15 days after completion of the installation of the electrical work.
	B.	All decisions as to whether or not electrical work complies with the provisions of the International Electrical Code and this chapter shall be made by an approved electrical inspection agency which is hereby authorized to stop any electrical work in process and order the removal thereof if it determines that such work is not being installed in conformity with the provisions of the International Electrical Code and this chapter.
	C.	The Building Code Official is hereby authorized to waive inspection of all or that portion of electrical work for which he shall have received a duplicate record of approval from an approved electrical inspection agency certifying that such work complies with the provisions of the International Electrical Code and this chapter. Notice of such waiver of inspection shall be given to the applicant so that the approved work can thereafter be concealed.

F. Section 401.3 shall be amended by adding the following exemptions:

	6.	Minor repair work, such as but not limited to the replacement of a receptacle, switch or a lighting fixture.
	7.	The connection of any portable electrical appliance to any permanently installed electrical receptacle.
	8.	Central police station supervised alarm systems.[2]

[2] Editor's Note: See Ch. 25, Alarm Devices.

G. Section 404.2 shall be amended to state as follows:

404.2 Permit fees. The fee for the permit for electrical work shall be paid in accordance with the fee schedule approved and adopted by the Board of Supervisors, which schedule shall be available for public inspection at the office of the Secretary of the Township of West Goshen. The fee schedule shall be reviewed and revised as necessary by the Board of Supervisors.

H. Section 1003.1 shall be amended to state as follows:

1003.1 Penalties. Any person who shall violate a provision of this Code or shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof, or, who shall erect, construct, alter or repair a building or structure in violation of an approved plan or directive of the Building Code Official, or of a permit or use and occupancy permit issued under the provisions of this Code, shall be guilty of a summary offense, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 per day, plus costs and attorney's fees, and, upon default of the payment of the fine and costs, imprisonment not exceeding 30 days. Each day that a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.

I. Chapter 11, Means of Appeal, shall be deleted and replaced with the following:

[Amended 7-2-2012 by Ord. No. 05-2012; 8-12-2015 by Ord. No. 5-2015; 12-9-2015 by Ord. No. 8-2015]

CHAPTER 11 BOARD OF APPEALS

1101.1 General. The West Chester Area Council of Governments (WCACOG) has formed a Board of Appeals, which shall hear and decide appeals of orders, decisions or determinations made by the Building Official relative to the application and interpretation of this Code. The Board of Appeals shall be appointed by the WCACOG and shall be governed by the rules and regulations adopted by the WCACOG. The Board of Appeals shall adopt rules of procedure for conducting its business and shall render all decisions and findings in writing to the appellant with a duplicate copy to the Building Official.

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former § 39-5, Conformance required.

§ 39-6 (Reserved) [1]

[1] Editor's Note: Former § 39-6, Inspection and tests, and former § 39-7, Exemptions, were repealed 5-26-2004 by Ord. No. 10-2004.

§ 39-7 (Reserved)

§ 39-8 Right of entry; unsafe conditions; notice of violation.

A. In order to safeguard persons and property against the hazards and perils of existing defective electrical wiring, apparatus or equipment, the approved electrical inspection agency, upon written request from the Building Code Official, is hereby given the authority and the duty to inspect, at reasonable times, any building, structure (including swimming pools) or premises in the Township, to determine whether any electrical work theretofore installed therein is defective or unsafe.

B. If the Building Code Official, with the recommendations of an approved electrical inspection agency, shall determine that any building, structure (including swimming pool) or premises is in an unsafe and dangerous condition or not in compliance with the provisions of the International Electrical Code or this chapter, the portion of the existing work which is defective or unsafe shall be discontinued and made to comply with the provisions of the International Electrical Code and this chapter. He shall serve notice upon the owner or occupant thereof, stating the nature of the violation and that compliance with all requirements shall be achieved within the period of time specified in the notice. The notice may also prescribe a course of remedial action.

C. If, at the expiration of the time allowed for compliance, the violation has not been corrected, the Building Code Official shall institute proceedings, as provided in § 39-9 hereof, to collect from the owner or occupant the fines or penalties specified for violations of this chapter.

§ 39-9 Violation and penalties; enforcement provision.

Any person who violates or permits the violation of any provision of this chapter or the National Electric Code adopted by § 39-2 of this chapter or who shall fail to comply with any of the requirements thereof or who fails to comply with any directive, order or requirement of the Building Official or other Codes Enforcement Officer shall, upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense, and shall be subject to the payment of a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000, plus the costs of prosecution. In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment in the county prison for a term of not more than 30 days. Each section or provision of this chapter that is violated shall constitute a separate offense, and each day or portion thereof in which a violation of this chapter is found to exist shall constitute a separate offense, each of which violations shall be punishable by a separate fine imposed by the District Justice of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000, plus the cost of prosecution, or upon default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment in the county prison for a term of not more than 30 days. All fines and penalties collected for the violation of this chapter shall be paid to the Township Treasurer.