Township of Upper Moreland, PA Article III Electrical Standards

[Adopted as Title 3, Ch. 6, of the 1977 Code[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This article was adopted 11-13-1984 by Ord. No. 1054 and amended 4-6-1987 by Ord. No. 1129; 7-9-1990 by Ord. No. 1291; 4-5-1993 by Ord. No. 1291; 10-6-1997 by Ord. No. 1367; and 5-1-2000 by Ord. No. 1414.

§ 115-9 Adoption of National Electrical Code.

There is hereby adopted by the Township of Upper Moreland, copies of which are on file in the office of the Township Manager, 117 Park Avenue, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, that certain electrical code, known as the "National Electrical Code, 1999 Edition (NFPA 70)," as published by the National Fire Protection Association, and the whole thereof, save and except such portions as are hereafter deleted, modified, or amended.

§ 115-10 Administration and enforcement.

A. The administration and enforcement of this article and of the National Electrical Code herein adopted shall be carried out by the Code Enforcement Department.

B. Electrical permit for electrical work. 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.

C. Electrical certificate of approval. All applicants shall, within 30 days of the completion of the building, structure or premises, obtain an electrical certificate of approval from the Code Enforcement Officer. Said certificate shall be issued upon receipt by the Code Enforcement Officer of proof that the approved electrical organization has made an inspection of the applicant's building, structure or premises and that the electrical wiring conforms with the applicable provisions of the National Electrical Code. Whenever the inspection of the approved electrical organization shows that the provisions of the National Electrical Code have not been complied with, said organization shall so inform the Code Enforcement Officer, who shall then notify the applicant of the steps which must be taken to achieve compliance with the National Electrical Code before an electrical certificate of approval will be issued. Failure to secure an electrical certificate of approval shall be sufficient reason for notification of the electrical utility company to disconnect or refuse to connect electrical power to the premises.

D. Inspection of existing electrical wiring and apparatus. In order to provide safety against existing hazards or defective electrical wiring and apparatus, the Code Enforcement Officer and/or his authorized representatives, 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 Township of Upper Moreland 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.

E. Exemptions. This article shall not apply to the following electrical work:

(1) Minor repair work, such as repairing or replacing fuses, switches, receptacles, lamps or lighting fixture parts.

(2) The connection of portable electrical appliances to previously approved permanent receptacles.

F. Certain work to be done only under supervision of a registered master electrician and in conformity with code. 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 article.

G. Registration to act as a registered master electrician. Any person desiring to act as a registered master electrician shall make written application therefor to the Code Enforcement Officer and supply him with such information relating to the applicant's qualifications, knowledge and abilities to make installations of electrical wiring, equipment and apparatus. The Code Enforcement Officer shall issue a certification card for each calendar year (or the remaining portion thereof following the application) to such applicant, who shall pay a fee as prescribed in the Township Code Fee Schedule and shall furnish annually a certificate of insurance covering public liability, property damage, product liability and completed operations, each of which must have a single occurrence limit of at least $50,000. All certification cards shall expire on December 31 of the year of issue.

H. Permits and fees. All electrical wiring and installations shall require an electrical permit issued by the Code Enforcement Officer, except those outlined in Subsection E of this section.

I. Certificates may be revoked. The certificate of registry granted under this article may be suspended or revoked by the Code Enforcement Officer when a registered electrician, firm or corporation or the registered representative thereof shall violate any of these rules or regulations and shall refuse or neglect to make the necessary corrections to work not approved by the Code Enforcement Officer within a reasonable time after written notifications or shall permit the use of his, their or its name by a person or persons for the purpose of obtaining a permit or permits to do electrical wiring or installation work or to do any work under his or their license.

J. Misrepresentation. It shall be unlawful for any person who does not have a registered electrical certificate issued by the Code Enforcement Officer to engage in or to represent himself as engaged in such business in the Township, or to use the words "registered electrician," "electrician" or "wiring" in any form of advertising, or to display a sign containing these words or any of them in the Township of Upper Moreland.

§ 115-11 Amendments.

The following section is hereby added to the National Electrical Code:

A. Concealing work. Work in connection with an electric 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 and the approved electrical organization.

§ 115-12 Violations and penalties.

A. Any person who fails to correct a violation or institute a remedial action as ordered by the Code Enforcement Officer or who violates a provision or fails to comply with any requirements of this article or of any of the other applicable provisions of the Township Code shall be subject, upon summary conviction, for each violation, to a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $300 plus costs of prosecution and, in default of payment of such fine and costs, to imprisonment not exceeding 30 days. Each day's failure to comply herewith shall constitute a separate offense.

B. The imposition of the penalties herein prescribed shall not preclude the Township Solicitor from initiating appropriate actions or proceedings at law or in equity to effect the purposes of this article.