When temporary is no longer temporary

[bphgravity]

Over six months ago, my community was directly hit by Hurricane Charley. For the first few weeks, many installations were made as a "temporary" or "emergency" fix until permanent repairs could be made. In many cases, normal permitting and inspection processes were either intentionally avoided or exempt by permission of the building official.

To date, nearly 100 cases of unlicensed activities are being charged against individuals and companies that came into the area and performed work without permits or required licenses. 27 reported cases of home fires were started as a result of improperly wired generators. 2 reported cases of fire to temporary commercial trailers as a result of improper wiring.

During my daily travels, I have come across dozens of non-compliant and dangerous "temporary" installations to fixed structures, trailers, and other misc. objects, like light poles. I brought this issue up and provided examples at my local IAEI meeting recently and most jurisdictions stated that it is really out of the scope of the building department's jurisdiction to inspect jobs not permitted or installed for the duration of damage repairs to a structure or building.

So, I brought the issue up to the code compliance department and they pretty much said that there wasn't much they could do either. They basically stated that if a building has wiring problems that could create a hazard, then Florida Power and Light shouldn't have hooked them back up and its up to them to make these decisions.

So, I called FPL and they said its not their responsibility to determine if a structure is completely safe for electrical service, that's the job of the building department.

So, its 6 months later and the "temporary" instalations are for practical purposes permanent. I'm suprised there isn't a greater concern. Some of these issues will stay as long as no one tells the owner they must change it, however, none of the organizations that are in charge of that say they can do anything.

Who should be responsible for this? What is the role of code compliance if not this?

I will try to download some pics of some of the more scary installations. In one case, individual cables run across a side walk and connect to a business trailer with open connections right on the ground. While I was taking a picture two kids came by with push-scotters and "jumped" the cables. I have a picture of an RV that is receiving power from a set of jumper cables clamped on the feed-thru lugs on the main panelboard. The deadfront and cover are nowhere to be found. The other end of the jumper cables are clamped onto the RV attachment plug pins and wrapped with duct tape. Yes, no EGC at all.

Its a real nightmare. I could keep Joe Tedesco busy for a month.

 

[charlie tuna]

Re: When temporary is no longer temporary

article 527.3 --- actually leaves this time restraint up in the air.
it shall be permitted during the period of construction, remodeling, maintainance, repair, or demolition of buildings, structures, equipment or similar activities.
but
527.3(c) says temporary electrical power and lighting installations shall be permitted during emergencies and for tests, experiments, and development work.

i feel the article ahead of this 527.2(b) places the responsibility directly on the electrical inspector's position.
"approval. temporary wiring methods shall be acceptable only if approved based on the conditions of use and any special requirements of the temporary installation".

the key word hear is "approval" and if it is energized and unsafe it should be de-energized by the ahj! my $.02

 

[jimwalker]

Re: When temporary is no longer temporary

Code compliance/enforcement should be dealing with this.Sounds like because they did not receive any money they are passing the buck.Try this ,call tv stations and newspapers and fire department and posibly the major insurance companies.With enough exsposure and push i think they will get involved.
I know many areas got hurt bad and feel for you.I was one of the lucky ones that seen almost no damage.
To my understanding FPL would be required to provide power to any home that has not been condemed and has a CO that has not been removed.
Hard to believe the chief electrical inspector does not care.What town are you in ?

 

[physis]

Re: When temporary is no longer temporary

Sounds like a typical bureaucracy to me. I don't know how they do it. They're always right on top of something if no one wants them to be. But ask them to take care of something that's obviously what they exist to do and there's nothing Superman could do to get them to move.

I think if the responsible agency is aware of a dangerous situation they're obligated to act. But if they're going to play the "you can't prove we knew" game then you'll probably have to sue them into a response.

Talk to the Fire Dept. They're usually interested in safety issues. And they're not PR people like a lot folks at some of those meetings.

The power company's responsibility. What's that? dodge ball?

 

[physis]

Re: When temporary is no longer temporary

So, I brought the issue up to the code compliance department and they pretty much said that there wasn't much they could do either. They basically stated that if a building has wiring problems that could create a hazard, then Florida Power and Light shouldn't have hooked them back up and its up to them to make these decisions.

That's redicuolous. Does the power company even have the autority to inspect the electrical system of a private building?

I don't know much about the law on this, I know Charlie does, but don't power companies connect private buildings under authority of the AHJ.

 

[iwire]

Re: When temporary is no longer temporary

Originally posted by physis:
I know Charlie does, but don't power companies connect private buildings under authority of the AHJ.

I would imagine that the rules are different from place to place.

Here in MA, it is as you describe the POCO will only hook up what the inspectors approve.

The inspectors also have "Rule 4" at their disposal.


527 CMR 12.00: 2002 MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRICAL CODE

Rule 4. Where an actual hazard exists, the owner of the property shall be notified in writing by the authority enforcing this Code. (See M.G.L. c. 166, ?? 32 and 33, for enforcement authority.)

Bryan have you looked into your state laws or statutes to see what authority is granted to the building dept. / officials?

In MA those issues are covered by quite few sections in the Massachusetts General Laws. Here is the section referenced in Rule 4.

POLES AND WIRES
Chapter 166: Section 32 Municipal inspector of wires; appointment; qualifications; powers and duties; liability for removal of wires

Section 32. A city or town shall, by ordinance, vote or by-law, appoint an inspector of wires. Said inspector shall be a licensed electrician. Two or more cities or towns may vote to form a district and shall appoint an inspector of wires, whose compensation shall be fixed by the district and paid for by each city and town comprising such district as the city and town members thereof shall determine and who shall have the same powers and duties of an inspector of a city or town. Such inspector shall supervise every wire over or under streets or buildings in such a city, town or district and every wire within or supplied from buildings and structures subject to the provisions of chapter one hundred and forty-three, and the state building code, except wires within a manufactured building or building component as defined in the state building code and inspected in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the building code commission; shall notify the person owning or operating any such wire whenever its attachments, insulation, supports or appliances are improper or unsafe, or whenever the tags or marks thereof are insufficient or illegible; shall, at the expense of the city or town, remove every wire not tagged or marked as hereinbefore required, and shall see that all laws and regulations relative to wires are strictly enforced. A city, town or district may recover in contract from the owner of any such wire so removed the expense which it has incurred for the removal thereof.

It looks like the inspector can authorize the removal of unsafe wires and back charge the owner for the work after, I have never seen that happen.

You may find that the building officials are ignoring their lawful responsibilities or you may find their hands are tied.

Good luck it sounds pretty bad.

Bob

[ March 17, 2005, 05:01 AM: Message edited by: iwire ]

 

[charlie]

Re: When temporary is no longer temporary

Under storm conditions, we put people back in service as long as we can "do it safely" and make a record of those places. We then have the list run down at a later date to make sure we don't have stuff left in that manner for a long period of time. If the customer does nothing about fixing their property, we will disconnect until repairs are made (that rarely happens).

 

[charlie tuna]

Re: When temporary is no longer temporary

i remember when andrew hit south florida --- there was so much confusion going on - records were not kept - people were bending the rules trying to help each other. power was restored without permits in many cases. and repairs were made and the power company didn't even know it--they gave it a once over and energized it. the thought of going in for a permit after the storm was crazy. we had a ten story apartment house that needed a service repair because a fire truck backed into it--200 amp --480 volt that fed the building's sewage lift station. this effected both the normal and emergency power to the lift station---the sewage was running into the parking lot! when i went to get a permit--i waited in line for three hours-- then they came out and said "there will be no more permits issued today" -- "come back tomorrow" --- i had alraedy made my mind up that i was not going to do the job and was in an elevator leaving the county's permit building and i told another contractor about the sewage and that it was actually caused by the county fire truck -- a building official who overheard the story pulled me aside and called the chief electrical inspector who came down to the lobby and escorted back to issue a permit! it took dade county six years to clean up after hurricane andrew --- permits that were never closed-work done without permits and during this time you know there was alot of "jury rigged" electrical installations energized. thats the way the system works---when the power is "off" people will do anything to get it turned "on" ----- and once it's "on" who cares as long as it stays "on"!!! as stated above--the fire department is probibly the fastest response group to call---because there are no politics. a major issue came about after this hurricane --- buildings were not properly built nor inspected -- inspectors were going into the computer and issuing finals on buildings that were not even in their district. the county and the building owners held these inspectors "personnelly liable" for damage. this has caused major legal issues concerning the powers of inspectors -- and it places a big responsibility --a "personnel" responsibility on the neck of the inspectors. and if they don't like something -- it makes it even more difficult to override!

 

[jrdsg]

Re: When temporary is no longer temporary

makes me grateful i live in a relatively storm-free zone in the pacific northwest...

 

[physis]

Re: When temporary is no longer temporary

Watch out for volcanos.