Section 2120.40  Administration

 

a)         Applying State Serial Number.  The State serial number on boilers shall be not less than ⁵/₁₆" in height and shall be preceded by the letter "B".  The State serial number on pressure vessels shall be not less than ⁵/₁₆" in height and shall be preceded by the letter "U".  The inspector shall make certain that the correct Illinois State serial number is affixed to the boiler or pressure vessel at the time of inspection.

 

b)         First Time Inspection.  Effective January 1, 1999, all first time inspections of boilers and pressure vessels shall be performed by the Chief or a Deputy Inspector employed by the Division.

 

c)         Basis for Extending Certificate of Internal Inspection for Power Boilers.  The Chief Inspector is authorized to extend, for a period not exceeding one year, or 2 years for power boilers having an output rated at or above 450,000 lbs/hr, the time within which power boilers are required to be internally inspected, subject to the following conditions and qualifications:

 

1)         The analysis and treatment of feedwater for power boilers shall be under the supervision of a person qualified in the field of water chemistry.

 

2)         The analysis and treatment of the boiler feedwater shall be for the purpose of controlling and limiting serious deteriorating, encrusting and sludging factors affecting the safety of the boiler.

 

3)         The owner or user of power boilers must maintain, for examination by the inspector, accurate records of chemical and physical laboratory analyses of samples of the boiler water taken at regular intervals of not more than 24 hours operation and of the treatment applied.  These records must specify dates and times of analyses, by whom analyzed, and the treatment applied at that time, and should be certified by the responsible authority.  These records will adequately show the conditions of the water and any constituents or characteristics that are capable of producing corrosion or other deterioration of the boiler or its parts.

 

4)         The Chief Inspector is authorized to review the qualifications of the supervisor and the acceptability of supervision in accordance with the requirements of subsections (c)(1) through (c)(3).

 

5)         An internal inspection must have been performed during a pre-planned outage allowing appropriate time for a complete and comprehensive evaluation, including inspections of watersides, furnace area and all gas passages, with no deficiencies found that would preclude extending the internal inspection for one year, or 2 years for power boilers having an output rated at or above 450,000 lbs/hr.

 

6)         At no time shall the period between internal inspections for boilers having an output rated at or above 450,000 lbs/hr exceed a 36-month time interval.

 

7)         Application for extension shall be by letter setting forth facts establishing compliance with the requirements of subsections (c)(1) through (c)(7) and shall be accompanied by the report of external inspection.

 

d)         Unsafe Boilers or Pressure Vessels.  Any boiler or pressure vessel having been inspected and declared unsafe by an inspector shall have the Inspection Certificate suspended.

 

e)         Factors of Safety for Existing Installations.  An inspector shall increase the factors of safety if the condition of a boiler or pressure vessel warrants it.  If the owner or user does not concur with the inspector's decision, the owner or user may appeal to the Board.

 

f)         Frequency of Inspection of Boilers and Pressure Vessels

 

1)         Power boilers and high temperature water boilers shall receive a certificate inspection annually, which shall be an internal inspection where conditions permit unless authorization is granted by the chief inspector to extend the internal inspection as permitted in subsection (c).  The boilers shall also be inspected externally annually while under representative operating conditions, if possible, except that a power boiler having an output rated at or above 450,000 lbs/hr may forgo the external inspection for the year the internal inspection is conducted.

 

2)         Low pressure steam and hot water heating boilers and hot water supply boilers shall receive a certificate inspection every 2 years.  Groups of heating and hot water supply boilers connected together shall be registered as one unit and receive one Inspection Certificate when the following conditions are met:

 

A)        No unit exceeds 400,000 BTU input;

 

B)        All units being considered in the assembled modular unit are connected to a common header or manifold; and

 

C)        No more than 8 units can be grouped together and registered as one unit.

 

3)         Inspection of the flame safeguard equipment shall be in conjunction with the regular inspections of boilers.

 

4)         Pressure vessels subject to internal corrosion shall receive a certificate inspection every 3 years.  This inspection shall be external and internal where conditions permit.  However, owner-users qualified in accordance with Section 15 of the Act shall have the option of using API-510 or the NBIC for inspection intervals.

 

5)         Pressure vessels not subject to internal corrosion shall receive a certificate inspection every 3 years.  However, owner-users qualified in accordance with Section 15 of the Act shall have the option of using API-510 or the NBIC for inspection intervals.

 

g)         Inspection and Inspection Certificate Fees

 

1)         If a boiler or pressure vessel shall, upon inspection, be found to be suitable and to conform to this Part, the owner or user will be invoiced the fees established by the Board for each boiler and pressure vessel inspected.  The fee must be paid before an Inspection Certificate will be issued.

 

2)         If the owner or user of each boiler or pressure vessel required to be inspected refuses or fails to allow an inspection to be made or refuses or fails to pay the appropriate fees, the Inspection Certificate, if it has not expired, shall be suspended by the Chief Inspector until the owner or user complies with the requirements.

 

3)         The owner or user who causes a boiler or pressure vessel to be operated without a valid Inspection Certificate shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor and each day shall be deemed a separate offense in accordance with Section 12 of the Act.

 

h)         Inspectors to Have No Other Interests.  It is prohibited for any employee of the Division of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety to accept any compensation or remuneration from any source for acting as a consultant, engineer, safety engineer, safety specialist, etc., or under any other title.  Employees of this Division shall not be engaged in the sale of any article or device that is related to boilers or pressure vessels and shall devote their full time to inspection work.

 

i)          Installing Used or Second-hand Boilers or Pressure Vessels.  A certificate inspection shall be made of all used or second-hand boilers or pressure vessels prior to operation in this State.  When a boiler or pressure vessel is moved and reinstalled, the fittings and appurtenances shall be upgraded to comply with the rules for new installations.

 

j)          Inspectors to Notify Chief Inspector of Defective Boilers and Pressure Vessels.  If an inspector finds that a boiler or pressure vessel or any of the appurtenances are in an unsafe condition, the inspector shall immediately notify the Chief Inspector and submit a report of the defects.

 

k)         Insurance Agencies to Notify the Chief Inspector of New, Cancelled or Suspended Risks.  All insurance agencies shall notify the Chief Inspector within 30 days of all boiler or pressure vessel risks written, cancelled, not renewed or suspended in Illinois.

 

l)          Manufacturers Data Reports to be Filed.  Effective January 1, 1974, Manufacturers Data Reports on boilers and, as amended December 31, 1976, for pressure vessels, that are to be installed in the State of Illinois (unless otherwise exempted by this Part) shall be filed with the Chief Inspector through the National Board.  Each boiler and pressure vessel for which a report is filed should be assigned a National Board number.

 

m)        Boilers and Pressure Vessels without ASME Stamping.  If the boiler or pressure vessel does not bear the ASME stamp, then the drawings, data and material showing all details of construction shall be submitted to the Chief Inspector and the Chief Inspector's approval shall be obtained before installation in this State.  The Chief Inspector shall grant approval if the construction, materials and inspection requirements meet the rules, except for ASME stamp.

 

n)         Notification of Inspection.  The owner or user shall prepare each boiler or pressure vessel for internal inspection and shall prepare for and apply a hydrostatic test whenever necessary, on the date specified by an inspector, which shall be not less than 7 days after the date of notification.

 

o)         Owner to Notify Chief Inspector in Case of Accident.  Any owner or user, which includes any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or governmental entity, that knowingly fails to notify the Chief Inspector within 24 hours, or on the next business day, of an accident, explosion, event, or incident that serves to render a boiler or pressure vessel inoperative because of damage or failure or that involves any bodily injury or death to any person is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor, if a natural person, or a business offense punishable by a fine of not less than $501 and not more than $10,000, if a corporation or governmental entity.

 

p)         Penalties.  Any person, firm, partnership or corporation violating any of the provisions of this Part shall be subject to the penalties provided in the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Safety Act.

 

q)         Registration of Boilers and Pressure Vessels.  All owners or users of boilers and pressure vessels subject to the Act now in use or installed ready for use in the State of Illinois shall notify the Chief Inspector in writing giving the location, type, capacity, age and date of installation.

 

r)          Removal of Safety Appliances

 

1)         No person, except under the direction of an inspector, shall attempt to remove or shall do any work upon safety appliances required by this Part while a boiler or pressure vessel is in operation.  Should any of these appliances be repaired during an outage of a boiler or pressure vessel, they must be reinstalled and in proper working order before the object is again placed in service.

 

2)         No person shall in any manner load the safety valve or valves to maintain a working pressure in excess of that stated on the Inspection Certificate.

 

s)         Stamping of Boilers and Pressure Vessels.  Each boiler or pressure vessel subject to the Act shall be identified by a serial number of the State of Illinois.  The number will be assigned by the Chief Inspector and applied to the boiler or pressure vessel by the inspector at the time of inspection.  Also, the Code required stamping shall be kept free of paint and lagging so that it will be plainly visible and easily read by the inspector.

 

t)          Inspections and Inspection Reports

 

1)         Inspection Reports shall be submitted within 10 days from the date of inspection.

 

2)         All Inspection Reports shall be completed with all pertinent information as required, including location and actual conditions observed.

 

3)         The Chief or a Deputy Inspector employed by the Division, and Special Inspectors, shall have up to 90 days after the expiration of the Inspection Certificate to conduct his or her inspection.  An Inspection Certificate shall remain valid beyond the expiration date noted on the certificate until the boiler or pressure vessel is reinspected by the authorized inspecting authorities or until the certificate is suspended by the Chief Inspector, provided that the owner or user of the boiler or pressure vessel makes it available for inspection at reasonable times. [430 ILCS 75/11(b)]

 

4)         Validity of Inspection Certificate.  The Chief Inspector may at any time suspend an Inspection Certificate when the boiler or pressure vessel for which it was issued may not continue to be operated without menace to public safety, or when the boiler or pressure vessel is found not to comply with this Part.  A Special Inspector shall have authority to request suspension of an Inspection Certificate for boilers or pressure vessels insured by the employing company.  Suspension of an Inspection Certificate shall continue in effect until the boiler or pressure vessel has been made to conform to this Part.

 

u)         For all boiler systems installed after December 1, 2014, the intake and exhaust points for all boiler ventilation piping shall be located outside of the building served and at least 36 inches above grade.

 

(Source:  Amended at 41 Ill. Reg. 846, effective January 17, 2017)