Chapter
56 is hereby amended by adding section 5607 to read as follows:
5607 Blasting
5607.16 Scope. Section 5607 is intended to regulate
blasting operations within the City of Santee.
5607.17 Grading permit required. Section 5609 shall
apply to any project or construction operation where a grading permit
is required. A grading permit must be approved and issued by the Engineering
Department of the City of Santee prior to the issuance of a blasting
permit issued by the Fire Department for blasting at construction
sites.
5607.18 Definitions. For the purpose of this Division
the following definitions shall apply:
Approved Blaster is a blaster who has been approved
by the Fire Chief to conduct blasting operations in the City of Santee
and who has been placed on the list of approved blasters.
Blaster is any person, corporation, contractor
or other entity who uses, ignites, or sets off an explosive device
or material.
Inspector is any person who has been approved by
the Fire Chief to conduct pre and post blast inspections in the City
of Santee.
Blasting Operations shall mean the use of an explosive
device or explosive materials to destroy, modify, obliterate, or remove
any obstruction of any kind from a piece of property.
Minor Blasting is any blasting operation associated
with trenching operations, digging holes for utility poles, and other
single shot operations.
Major Blasting is any other type of blasting operation.
Permit for Blasting is a written document issued
by the Santee Fire Department wherein the blaster is given permission
to blast within the City of Santee under specific terms and conditions
for the operation.
Certificate of Insurance is a written document
issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in the State
of California stating that the insurance company has issued a policy
of liability insurance covering property damage and bodily injuries
resulting from blasting operations occurring in the City of Santee.
Explosive Permit is a written document issued by
the San Diego County Sheriff's Department pursuant to Section
12000, et seq. of the California
Health and Safety Code wherein the
Sheriff's Department allows blasting with explosives to be done
by the permittee under the conditions specified therein.
5607.19 Permit to Blast: All blasting operations
within the City of Santee are prohibited unless permitted by the Santee
Fire Department.
5607.20 Prerequisites. No Permit to Blast shall
be granted or obtained unless the prerequisite conditions listed below
are complied with and proof provided to the satisfaction of the Fire
Department.
5607.21 Explosives permit. The blaster shall obtain
an explosives permit from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department
and a copy thereof shall be placed on file with the Santee Fire Department.
5607.22 Santee business license. The blaster shall
obtain a business license from and issued by the Finance Department
of the City of Santee and a copy thereof placed on file with the Santee
Fire Department.
5607.23 Liability insurance. The property owner/developer
or general contractor shall obtain liability insurance covering the
blaster's activities in the minimum amount of $2,000,000 for
property damage and $1,000,000 for bodily injury. The property owner/developer
or general contractor shall file a copy of the Certificate of Insurance
with the Santee Fire Department. The blaster shall have liability
insurance, property insurance, and bodily injury insurance in the
minimum amount of $500,000 each. A copy of the Certificate of Insurance
of the blaster shall also be filed with the Santee Fire Department
by the property owner/developer or general contractor. The City of
Santee shall be named as Co-Insured.
5607.24 Blaster's qualifications. The blaster's
qualifications shall be reviewed by the Fire Chief. Approval and placement
on the list of approved blasters shall be based upon a review of the
blaster's qualifications, past safety record, and history of
complaints of job performance. Failure on the part of the blaster
to comply with the terms and conditions under which approval is granted
may result in suspension from the list of approved blasters for a
period not exceeding one year.
5607.25 Permit to Blast - repository and renewal.
5607.26 Permit to Blast filing. A copy of the Permit
to Blast shall be kept on file with the Santee Fire Department at
10601 Magnolia Ave., Santee, California 92071. A copy of the Permit
to Blast shall be retained by the general contractor or property owner/developer
and by the blaster and shall be available at the job site for public
or official inspection at all times during blasting operations.
5607.27 Permit to Blast cancellation. A Permit
to Blast is required to be cancelled with the Fire Department when
a blaster completes or discontinues, for 30 days, blasting operations
at a construction site.
5607.28 Permit to Blast - renewal. A Permit to
Blast must be renewed with the Fire Department before any blasting
operations are continued or resumed.
5607.29 Blasting operation procedures. After the
Permit to Blast has been issued, the blaster shall comply with the
following procedures.
5607.30 Notification of blasting operation. The
contractor or property owner/developer shall give reasonable notice
in writing at the time of issuance of building permit, grading permit
or encroachment license to all residences or businesses within 600
feet of any potential blast location. The notice shall be in a form
approved by the Fire Chief.
Any resident or business receiving such notice may request of
the Fire Department that the blaster give a 12 hours advance notice
of impending blast. The general contractor or property owner/developer
shall obtain the advanced notification list of residents and businesses
from the Fire Department, and shall make every reasonable effort to
contact any and all parties requesting the second advanced notice.
5607.31 Inspections. Inspections of all structures
within 300 feet of the blast site shall be made before blasting operations.
The person(s) inspecting shall obtain the permission of the building
owner prior to conducting the inspection. The inspections shall be
performed by a qualified person(s) approved by the Fire Chief, and
employed by the blaster or project contractor. The inspection shall
be only for the purpose of determining the existence of any visible
or reasonably recognizable pre-existing defects or damages in any
structure. Waiver of such inspection shall be in writing by owner(s),
and persons who have vested interest, control, custody, lease or rental
responsibility of said property or their legally recognized agent.
Post blast inspections shall be required upon receipt of a complaint
of property damage by the person in charge of the property. Damage
must be reported to the Fire Department within one year of the completion
of blasting operations.
5607.32 Inspection report. Complete inspection
reports identifying all findings or inspection waivers shall be signed
by the inspector and property owners or owner's agent. Such
inspection reports shall be retained by the inspecting agency, but
shall be immediately available to the Fire Department and individuals
directly involved in alleged damage complaints.
5607.33 Inspection waiver report. The inspector
shall file with the Fire Department a summary report identifying address,
occupant/owner's name, time and date of inspections, and any
inspection waiver signed by property owner or owner's agent,
with an explanation as to why an inspection of a specific structure
was not made. This summary and waiver report shall be signed by the
inspector.
5607.34 Blasting hours. Blasting shall only be
permitted between the hours of 9:00 am and 4:00 pm during any weekday,
Monday through Friday, unless special circumstances warrant another
time of day and special approval is granted by the Fire Chief.
5607.35 Fire Department inspections. The blaster
shall permit Fire Department personnel to inspect the blast site and
blast materials or explosives at any reasonable time.
5607.36 Fire Department witness of blasting. If
a Fire Department witness is desired by the general contractor, and
or blaster, arrangements shall be made at least 12 hours prior to
the blast. Confirmation shall be made to the Fire Department no less
than one hour prior to the blast. The Fire Department may assign a
Department member to be present and observe the blast at their discretion.
5607.37 Blast notification to Fire Department.
The blasting companies are required to notify the Fire Department
on the day of a tentative blasting operation, between the hours of
8:00 am and 8:30 am.
5607.38 Seismograph monitoring. All blasting operations
shall be monitored by an approved seismograph located at the nearest
constructed structure. All daily seismograph reports shall be forwarded
to the Fire Department by the end of the blast week.
EXCEPTION: Public Utility Companies are not required to seismographically
monitor minor blasting operations.
5607.39 Confiscation. Any explosives which are
illegally manufactured, sold, given away, delivered, stored, used,
possessed, or transported shall be subject to immediate seizure by
the Fire Chief, issuing authority, or peace officer. When a permit
has been revoked or has expired and is not immediately renewed, any
explosive is subject to immediate seizure.
5607.40 Complaints regarding blasting operations. Post-blast inspections shall be required on all structures for
which complaints, alleging blast damage, have been received. Such
inspections shall be written within 30 days of receipt of complaint.
5607.41 Fee for Permit to Blast. The blaster shall
pay a fee for the Permit to Blast designated within the Fire Department
Schedule of Fees. Unless otherwise designated within the approved
Schedule of Fees, a Permit to Blast shall be site specific and a separate
fee shall be charged to each Blast operation or for each Permit to
Blast issued.
5607.42 Fire Department conditions. The Santee
Fire Department may impose such additional conditions and procedures
as it deems are reasonably necessary to protect the public health
and safety based upon the peculiar and individual facts and circumstances
of a particular blasting operation. The Fire Department shall provide
the blaster with the additional conditions or procedures in writing
and the blaster shall comply with those requirements until such time
as the Fire Department is satisfied they are no longer required and
cancels the additional requirements.