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HomeMy WebLinkAbout112164 ♦ � ORDINANCE NO. 11,216 AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE FILLING AND MAINTENANCE OF PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS; REQUIRING A.LICENSE TO ENGAGE IN-THE BUSINESS OF_MAINTAINING PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS; PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS HEREOF;.AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. BE IT ORDAINED BY TAE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS: SECTION 1. Any person, firm, corporation or entity which shall hereafter engage in the business of filling, refilling, recharging, conditioning, reconditioning, maintaining, inspecting, testing, or approving portable fire extinguishers for a considera- tion within the limits of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, shall obtain and hold a permit to engage in such business from the Chief of the Fire Department of the City of Little Rock, which permit shall be issued by the said Chief of the Fire Department upon proof being made that the applicant has paid for a current privi- lege tax to engage in such business pursuant to Ordinance No. 7444, as amended. SECTION 2. Upon the completion of filling, refilling, charging, recharging, conditioning, reconditioning, maintaining, inspecting, hydrostatically testing, or approving the condition of portable fire extinguishers, the person, firm, corporation, or entity so acting shall place on each extinguisher so treated, a tag attached to the extinguisher by heavy cord or wire on which shall be plainly written the name of the person, firm, corporation, or entity which has filled, refilled, charged, recharged, conditioned, reconditioned, maintained, inspected, or hydrostatically tested the said extin- guisher and shall show the date of inspection or other treatment of said extinguisher, together with a description of the nature of treatment performed on said fire extinguisher (Example: "filled ;" "charged," "hydrostatically tested," etc.) and a. statement describ- ing the condition of the extinguisher for the use and benefit of - 2 - both the tenant and the Chief of the Fire Department of the City of Little Rock, Arkansas. SECTION 3. It shall be the duty of any person, firm, cor- poration, or entity whose acts bring it within the coverage of this Ordinance to immediately report any defective or faulty portable fire extinguisher, or parts thereof, to'the tenant in charge of the premises on or in which it may be located and to similarly report the fact to the Chief of the Fire Department within forty -eight (48) hours after discovery thereof, and the extinguisher possessing defects so reported shall not be reassembled, refilled, recharged, or placed in use until the defective part, or parts, shall have been replaced and the extinguisher rendered safe, reliable and in good operating condition, as provided for herein. SECTION 4. Any person, firm, corporation, or entity which shall, for a consideration, undertake to fill, refill, charge, re- charge, or maintain portable fire extinguishers with contents, whether liquid, solid or gaseous, shall do so in a manner appro- priate to and consistent with the purposes and design of the extinguisher and shall use the materials and follow procedures according to the following classifications: a. Hand and Wheeled Chemical Solution (Soda -Acid) Extinguishers - Chemicals to be used shall consist of a powdered chemical (bicarbonate of soda or its equivalent) for dissolution in water for the extinguisher shell and a liquid chemical (sulphuric acid or its equivalent) for the bottle. The extinguisher shall be f2led to capacity or at such level as may be designated thereon. In recharg- ing or refilling, all extinguisher parts shall be washed thoroughly with water and the water drained through the hose. Ingredients such as common salt, calcium chloride, wetting agents, glycerine or other similar compounds, shall not be used in these extinguishers at any time. - 3 - b. Water type Extinguishers; Anti- Freeze Solution Extinguishers - Extinguishing agent used shall be plain water or, when of anti- freeze type, a solution having a freezing point of 400 F. below zero, the anti - freeze compound or solution used having a calcium chloride base with adequate components for avoiding corrosion or de- posits, or both, on operating parts. In refilling or recharging, extinguishers shall be filled to the filling mark, or, if a cartridge -type unit, the cartridge shall be weighed to determine whether or not it is fully charged. Before refilling or recharging, all parts shall be washed thoroughly with water and the water drained through the hose. All water will be removed from the hose to prevent clogging by freezing. In recharging extinguishers with the anti - freeze solution, the chemical used shall be tho- roughly dissolved in water outside the extinguisher in strict accordance with instructions on the extinguisher or charging unit. The water should be cold and the solution should be put through a fine strainer while pouring it into the extinguisher. Common salt must not be used in extin- guishers of this type. Cartridges other than those furnished by the manufacturer, or equivalent, shall not be used in cartridge operated extinguishers. c. Wheeled Anti- Freeze Solution Extinguishers - Same as in paragraph b. above, except that the volume of chemi- cals and water used shall be commensurate with the capacity of the unit. d. Wheeled Wetting -Agent Extinguishers - The extin- guishing agent used in refilling and recharging shall be a surface- active substance added to water in proper quan- tities to materially reduce the surface tension of the water and increase its penetrating and spreading character- istics and - alsifying action. Extinguishers shall be - 4 - refilled or recharged to filling mark. Carbon dioxide cylinder used as expellent shall be weighed to determine that it is fully charged. In recharging such extinguishers, all parts shall be washed thoroughly with water and the water drained through the hose. All water will then be removed from the hose to prevent freezing and clogging the nozzle. Ingredients such as calcium chloride or common salt shall not be used. Cylinders other than those furnished by the manufacturer, or equivalent, shall not be used. e. Hand and Wheeled Foam Extinguishers - Chemicals used shall be bicarbonate of soda and a foam stabilizing agent dissolved in water for the outer compartment and aluminum sulphate dissolved in water for the inner cylin- der. Before recharging or refilling, all parts shall be washed thoroughly with water and the water drained through the hose. All water will then be removed from the hose to prevent freezing and clogging the nozzle. All chemi- cals used shall be thoroughly stirred until dissolved in water and in exact accordance with instructions on the extinguisher or charging unit. Anti- freeze ingredients such as common salt or calcium chloride or other similar compounds shall not be used. f. Hand and Wheeled Loaded Stream Extinguishers - Chemicals used shall be a solution of an alkali -metal -salt which solution has a freezing point of 40® F. below zero. Extinguishers shall be filled or refilled to the filling mark and the cartridge (in cartridge operated extinguishers) shall be weighed to determine whether or not it is fully charged. All parts shall first be washed thoroughly with water and the water drained through the hose. All water will be removed from the hose to prevent clogging by freez- ing. The chemical shall be thoroughly stirred until - 5 - dissolved in water and in exact accordance with instruc- tions on the extinguisher or charging unit. Chemicals or cartridges other than those furnished by the manu- facturer, or equivalent, shall not be used in these extinguishers. S. Vaporizing Liquid Extinguishers - Extinguishing agent used is a specially treated nonconducting liquid having a freezing point of at least 500 F. below zero and a corrosion inhibitor ingredient. Extinguishers shall be filled or refilled to capacity (on stored pressure types, to filling mark). Water shall not be used for any purpose in this type. Liquid other than that furnished by the manufacturer, or equivalent, shall not be used. h. Hand and Wheeled Carbon Dioxide Extinguishers - Extinguishers shall be refilled or recharged to filling mark. The extinguisher shall be weighed to determine if it is fully charged. The extinguishing agent in all cases shall be carbon dioxide. i. Hand and Wheeled Dry Chemical Extinguisher - The fire extinguishing agent used shall be a specially treated sodium bicarbonate in dry powder form with components pro- ducing free flow and water repellency. Chemicals or cart- ridges other than those furnished by the manufacturer, or equivalent, shall not be used in these extinguishers and the manufacturer's recharging instructions shall be followed. Extinguishers shall be filled with the specified weight of dry chemicals at all times. In the case of cartridge operated extinguishers, the cartridge will be weighed to determine that it is fully charged. The extinguisher, upon recharging or refilling, shall be examined to determine that all parts are functioning properly and that there is no clogging of any passages through which the contents must flow. - 6 - SECTION 5. If any defect shall be found which might affect the functioning of any extinguisher, the contents of the extin- guisher may be emptied and removed and the extinguisher subjected to a hydrostatic pressure test to determine if it is in proper condition for use. .If, following such test, any fire extinguisher, regardless of class, type or kind, shall be discovered to possess defects of any type involving the functioning and proper use of said extinguisher and the said defects are repaired by a person, firm, corporation, or entity regulated by this ordinance, the extinguisher so repaired shall be subjected to a hydrostatic pressure test to insure that the repairs have been properly made and that the extinguisher is competent for continued use. SECTION 6. Hydrostatic pressure tests shall be conducted according to the basic requirements made in this Section as follows: a. Apparatus for a hydrostatic pressure test shall be the following: (1). A suitable hand operated or power operated hydrostatic pump capable of producing pressure not less than twice the test pressure. (2). A flexible connection attached to the pump provided with a fitting for attachment to the extinguisher. (3). A calibrated pressure gauge with a capacity of not less than twice the test pressure. (4). Necessary valves, fittings and other apparatus regulating and maintaining the required test pressures. (5). A substantial shield which shall be placed between the extinguisher under test and the operator of the pump and bystanders. b. The extinguisher shall be emptied and washed and the internal parts thereof, such as acid bottle and cage, shall be removed. - 7 - c. The extinguisher shall be filled with water, coupled to the pressure apparatus and placed behind the protective shield. d. No air shall be permitted in the extinguisher during hydrostatic pressure tests and the operator shall be charged with the responsibility of seeing that all air is removed from all parts of the machine during the testing. e. Pressure shall be applied at. a rate of rise to reach 300 lbs. per square inch in approximately one minute. Pressure of not less than 300 lbs. per square inch and not more than 350 lbs. per square inch shall be applied to hand type extinguishers, and a pressure of 400 lbs. per square inch shall be applied to wheeled extinguishers. f. The extinguisher shall be checked for leakage, dis- tortion or other signs of failure, the pressure being maintained for one minute for such purposes, after which pressure shall be released. Extinguishers which show no faults during said test may be recharged or refilled and returned to nor- mal service and shall be fitted with a record tag showing the date of the test, test pressure and the name of the person, firm, corporation, or entity making the test, as set out above. g. Any extinguisher which shows leakage, distortion or other signs of weakness should be returned to manufacturer for repair, should otherwise be competently repaired, or discarded. SECTION 7. Any person, firm or entity violating any pro- visions of this ordinance shall be subject to having its license revoked by the Chief of the Fire Department or fined in a sum not less than Twenty Five and No /100 Dollars ($25.00) nor more than One Hundred and No /100 Dollars ($100.00), or both. - 8 - SECTION 8. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval. PASSED: September 18, 1961 ATTEST:�� / City Clerk APPROVED: Mayor.