13 NCAC 13 .0212             PREPARATION FOR INSPECTION

(a)  The owner or user shall prepare a high pressure boiler, including locomotive, hobby and exhibition boilers, for internal inspection by:

(1)           cooling the boiler, furnace, and setting so as to prevent damage to any part;

(2)           draining and washing internal parts to be inspected, including disassembly and cleaning of float bowl type low-water fuel cutoff devices and associated piping plugs or caps;

(3)           removing wash-out, drain, and inspection plugs;

(4)           removing enough of the grates in an internally fired boiler to permit inspection;

(5)           removing soot, ashes and unburned solid fuel plus enough brickwork, refractory, and insulation to permit inspection;

(6)           removing manhole and handhole plates;

(7)           preparing the controls and safety devices for inspection and testing;

(8)           preventing leakage of water, steam, or vapors into boiler interiors that would endanger personnel;

(9)           providing adequate ventilation to prevent the accumulation of hazardous gasses; and

(10)         providing, when requested by the inspector, a competent person, as defined under the North Carolina Occupational Safety & Health standard for confined spaces, to assist the inspector in the performance of his inspection.

(b)  In addition to the requirements in Paragraph (a) of this Rule, the owner or user shall prepare a high pressure boiler that has a manhole and which is connected to a common header with another boiler for internal inspection by:

(1)           closing and tagging, or padlocking, the steam stop valves and opening all drain valves or cocks located between the steam stop valves;

(2)           closing and tagging, or padlocking, the feed and check valves and opening all drain valves or cocks located between the feed and check valves;

(3)           draining boiler and then closing and padlocking the blowoff valves;

(4)           disconnecting, at the request of the inspector, blowoff lines between pressure parts and valves;

(5)           opening all drains and vent lines;

(6)           closing and tagging or padlocking all fuel valves, blower or fan motors and any other devices that may deliver energy in any form to the boiler; and

(7)           after complying with all other provisions of this Rule, removing the manhole covers.

(c)  The owner or user need not make any special preparation for an external inspection of a boiler or pressure vessel, except that if the inspector requires the boiler or pressure vessel to be shut down for a closer inspection, the boiler or pressure vessel shall be prepared as is required for the internal inspection of a high pressure boiler.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 95-69.11;

Eff. May 29, 1981;

Amended Eff. July 1, 2011; July 1, 2006; January 1, 1995;

Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A, rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. July 22, 2018.