[1972 Code § 227.001]
To insure that all self-service or coin-operated dry cleaning
establishments using solvents classified as nonflammable or as flammable
at ordinary temperatures are maintained at safe and orderly places
in which the public of this community may dry clean their clothing
or other garments, and in order to prevent hazards that might otherwise
be present in the public use of mechanically operated machines in
such establishments, all self-service or coin-operated dry cleaning
establishments are required to comply with the provisions of this
chapter.
[1972 Code § 227.002]
No persons, firms, partnerships or corporations shall install
or operate a coin-operated dry cleaning machine or machines, or make
changes in any existing installations if such changes may affect health,
until plans and specifications in duplicate shall first have been
submitted to and received the approval of the Board of Health.
[1972 Code § 227.003]
Plans and requirements shall include:
a.
Proposed arrangement including:
1.
A diagram of that portion of the building in which the coin-operated
dry cleaning machines are to be installed.
2.
Location of the dry cleaning machines, the manufacturer and the model
number.
3.
Layout in plan and elevation views of the exhaust duct work. This
shall be drawn to scale and shall show the ducts by double lines,
supports, and the point of discharge out-of-doors.
4.
Location and specifications of all general ventilating equipment
including window or roof exhaust fans, supply fans and local exhaust
fans. Fan specifications must include manufacturer, type, design,
size, capacity, static pressure, speed and motor horsepower. Information
substantiating compliance with the ventilation requirements must be
included. The means by which the make-up air enters the building must
also be shown.
5.
The partitions which physically separate the customer area from the
service area shall be so constructed as to allow the ventilation to
flow from the customer area to the service area and then to the outside.
6.
The curbed impervious floor in the service area shall be curbed to
a height sufficient to retain the entire volume of solvent in the
system, including auxiliary storage with the service area.
7.
Solvent storage and control. Drains from the service area must be
installed to drain the entire volume of solvent to a storage tank
of proper size by gravity or by means of an automatic pump. This tank
shall be vented to the out-of-doors. Solvent shall be stored only
in closed containers which are properly labeled. The transfer of solvent
from the containers should be accomplished in a line free of leaks.
Filter residue and other residues and sludges shall be temporarily
stored for safe disposal in tightly covered containers so as not to
create a health hazard or nuisance.
A Bureau of Mines approved canister type gas mask with canister
for the solvent used shall be provided. This gas mask shall be kept
in good repair and available for immediate use with the canister seal
removed. Canisters shall be replaced at the expiration of their shelf
life or when the odor of the solvent can be detected through it. The
attendant shall be trained in the use of this gas mask.
A solvent vapor sensing device within the tumbler is desirable
to control the drying cycle and to prevent the removal of solvent
laden garments. The machine design must be such that essentially no
solvent is retained in the cleaned items upon completion of the dry
cleaning cycle. A simple performance test is the lack of any solvent
odor in a closed automobile containing a newly cleaned load.
A utility fire extinguisher of either the carbon dioxide or
dry chemical type must be provided for use against electrical or oil
fires.
b.
Ventilation requirements are:
1.
The working or maintenance portion of the machines shall not be readily
accessible to the customers in the store.
As a means of minimizing any solvent vapor buildup in the customer
area and in the service area resulting from any minor solvent leakage,
it is required that there be a minimum flow rate of air away from
the customer area, through the service area to the outside as follows:
|
Number of Machines
|
Minimum Flow Rate Per Machine
(cfm)
| |
|---|---|---|
|
1 to 3
|
250
| |
|
4 to 8
|
200
| |
|
9 to 16
|
150
| |
|
17 or more
|
100
|
2.
The exhaust ventilation as described above shall be provided on a
continuous basis while the store is open for business. The fan wiring
shall be such that the dry cleaning equipment cannot be operated unless
the fan system is in operation.
3.
The cleaning equipment must be provided with an exhaust system capable
of maintaining a minimum of 100 feet per minute face velocity through
the loading door whenever the door is open. The ductwork connections
from this system must be sealed (soldered or taped) and the discharge
stack extended above the roof line.
4.
A supply of tempered (heated to 60° to 65° F.) make-up air
equal to or greater than the total volume of air exhausted from the
plant shall be provided in order to eliminate any negative pressure
conditions which might otherwise develop.
5.
Exhaust ventilation stacks from dry cleaning machines shall not be
located in proximity to combustion air intakes on gas-fired equipment
or drier air intakes.
6.
Machine exhaust vents shall terminate at least five feet above the
building roof, shall not create a nuisance, and shall be located so
as to prevent recirculations.
7.
Air to replace the air exhausted shall be admitted to the building
through openings designed for this purpose or through air supply systems.
8.
Exhaust piping shall comply with the American Standards 29.2, currently
approved by the American Standards Association "design and operation
of local exhaust system."
9.
It is important that solvent contaminated air even in very low concentrations
(5-20 ppm) be kept out of the air intakes of all combustion equipment,
so as to minimize the thermal decomposition of the solvent. Breakdown
products such as hydrochloric acid, free chlorine and phosgene corrode
metal surfaces, including flues and heater components, can seriously
damage cloth through acid burns or weakening of fibers.
Where grille openings are to be installed in the partition to
facilitate air movements, they shall be sized on the basis of at least
500 cfm per square foot of net grille area and shall be placed as
close to the machines as possible. An example would be the use of
a thirty-inch by six-inch grille located directly over a machine.
[1972 Code § 227.004]
a.
A trained operator shall be in attendance at all times when the coin-operated
dry cleaning establishment is open. The training of this attendant
shall include knowledge of the safe operation of the machines installed
and the handling of emergency situations. His telephone number shall
be posted conspicuously for emergencies.
b.
The machines shall be inspected daily and kept in good repair. All
maintenance personnel shall be familiar with the necessary machine
repairs and instructed as to proper methods of handling perchlorethylene.
Access doors to the maintenance area shall be kept locked.
c.
A step-by-step instruction list must be posted in a conspicuous location
near the machine for customer use. Included shall be a list of items
not to be dry cleaned.
d.
Only the solvent and supplies specified by the equipment manufacturer
shall be used. No spotting solvents other than water shall be permitted.
e.
An interlock system must be provided on the machine to prevent the
loading door from being opened during the normal cycle.
This system may be either electrical and/or mechanical and so
connected that in the event of a power failure or other stoppage during
the operating cycle the machine fails safe and the door remains locked
and is not operable by a customer.
f.
The drying time of the operating cycle shall be sufficient so that
odor detectable concentrations of solvent vapors are not dispersed
with the cleaned garments.
g.
No open flames or surfaces heated to a temperature over 75° shall
be allowed in the service area. Gas appliances may be used in the
remainder of the building if they are vented to the outside by noncorrodible
pipes.
