(a) Council, by resolution, shall from time to time designate electrical inspection agencies which shall be authorized to make inspections of electrical wiring, equipment and/or apparatus installed within the Borough, or upon property served by the Electric Department for the purpose of this chapter. The appointment of an inspection agency hereunder may be terminated by resolution at any time by Council in its sole discretion. The Borough requires that the following conditions be met by any agency or corporation before recognition and acceptance as an agency will be granted:
(1) The agency shall carry and annually furnish the Borough with certificates of insurance evidencing statutory workers' compensation insurance for its employees.
(2) The agency shall carry and annually furnish the Borough with certificates of insurance evidencing comprehensive general liability insurance, including completed operations, with single-limit coverage in an amount of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) or equivalent.
(3) The agency shall carry and annually furnish the Borough with certificates of insurance evidencing professional liability insurance with single-limit coverage in an amount of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000).
(4) The agency shall require all electrical installations to meet the standards of the latest edition of the National Electrical Code and all Borough requirements.
(5) The agency shall ensure that inspectors are qualified and will certify their qualifications to the Borough. A list of inspectors, which will be kept up to date, will be forwarded to the Borough.
(6) The inspector shall not inspect his or her own work or the work of anyone whose business connections with the inspector would render the inspection suspect or unethical.
(7) The agency shall not represent itself or its agents or employees as agents or employees of the Borough.
(8) The agency shall maintain an office open during normal business hours in the telephone area code 412. There shall be a toll-free number that Borough code officials may use to contact the inspection agency during normal working hours for information.
(9) All inspectors shall visit the Electric Department office at least once a week.
(10) Municipal cards shall be issued to the Electric Department.
(11) The agency shall issue certificates to the applicant on all installations upon satisfactory completion.
(12) The Borough shall be notified of violations over thirty days old.
(13) Inspection fees shall be charged as per a published fee schedule and collected from the installer, contractor or owner. Inspection fees shall not be charged to the Borough.
(14) For purposes of fire and safety, the inspector shall, upon request, conduct a free inspection for the Borough on any building the Borough deems necessary. When wiring adjustments are made, the same agency will make the follow-up inspection upon receipt of an application and appropriate fee.
(15) Inspections will be made during a normal work day, but the agency shall have the inspector available at all times for emergencies.
(16) All inspectors shall be full-time employees of their respective agencies. they will be responsible to management at the local office mentioned in paragraph (a)(8) hereof.
(17) If an installation is judged defective and so tagged, only an agent of the same inspection agency may remove the tag and approve the installation for service.
(18) The inspector's adhesive label shall appear visibly on the main entrance panel (within the structure).
(19) Approval may be withdrawn at any time upon evidence that an agency does not comply with the above conditions.
(b) Consumers' electrical wiring, equipment and apparatus shall be installed, operated and maintained in conformity with any and all local or other governmental requirements and with all rules and requirements of the National Electrical Code, and shall be inspected and approved by an approved inspection agency prior to connection to the Borough's system, as provided for and regulated by this section. All subsequent installations or changes shall also be inspected and approved in advance of connection to the Borough's system. The Borough may examine a consumer's installation at any time and may refuse to make connection to commence or continue service whenever such installation is not in proper operating condition.
(c) As authorized by Council, the Code Enforcement Officer or other designated Borough employee may make inspections of permitted electrical work as follows:
(1) The inspections shall be limited to the addition of branch circuits in one and two-family dwellings and/or dwelling units licensed under the Borough Housing Code.
(2) The Borough reserves the right to refer any such inspection to the inspection agencies provided for in subsection (a) hereof.
(3) A fee as determined from time to time by resolution of Council shall be charged for inspections performed by the Borough.
(d) The inspection agencies provided for in subsection (a) hereof, the Borough and any agency authorized by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall perform inspections of permitted electrical work within the limits of the Borough in the event the utility provider is other than the Borough.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this chapter to the contrary, inspection and enforcement of the wiring and connections between the Borough's electric lines and the consumer's main breaker panel shall be done by the Electric Department. Enforcement of the provisions of this section insofar as they apply to wiring and connections from the main breaker panel and throughout the consumer's property shall be done by the Code Enforcement Officer.
(Ord. 2211. Passed 4-29-97.)