When hydrocyanic acid gas or other dangerous gases or fumes are used for exterminating purposes, the following method of procedure shall be followed:
(A) Notification of occupants and adjoining occupants and vacating of premises. Before fumigating, the operator shall personally inspect the premises, and shall service notice over his signature upon all responsible occupants of each room or apartment within the danger area, stating the dangers of the process and the precautions to be observed, designating the rooms or apartments which must be vacated, and indicating the time when the gas is to be generated.
(1) In every case all rooms to be gassed shall be vacated and in addition the adjoining or adjacent rooms on the same floor and on the floors immediately above and immediately below, and, in case of a building with apartments, the entire apartment adjoining or adjacent and immediately above.
(2) In the case of a building in which there are inner courts or light wells upon which any room being gassed opens, all rooms with windows opening to such courts or light wells shall be vacated and securely locked.
(3) In the case where the walls of any adjoining buildings are located within ten feet of the rooms or apartments being gassed, the operator shall notify, over his signature, all responsible occupants of rooms or apartments with window openings in such walls that such windows as are directly opposite or above the area of the adjoining building which is under gas must remain closed or the rooms vacated during the time the building gassed is being flushed or aired.
(4) All rooms or apartments ordered vacated but not under gas shall be well ventilated during the process by keeping the windows of such rooms or apartments open.
(5) Special notices with the operator's signature thereon shall be served upon all responsible occupants of every room or apartment within the danger area. Such notices shall state in consider and concise manner the precautions to be exercised during the entire process.
(B) The danger area. The danger area shall be construed as those portions of any structure or dwelling under gas which lie within the boundary of the outside walls of the building, the roof, and the basement or cellar floor, and such cutoff or fire walls as may exist in the structure in question; such cutoff or fire wall shall be solid masonry, gas tight, at least eight inches in thickness extending from the basement through the attic, with all openings locked and guarded against entry and effectively sealed against gas leakage.
(C) Persons qualified to perform dangerous work. No person other than a duly licensed operator shall release cyanide gas in any room or enclosure, or enter into any room under gas for any purpose whatsoever. This section shall not apply to inspectors of the Department of Health, duly authorized to investigate into the use of cyanide gas.
(D) Sealing rooms before releasing cyanide gas. Before fumigation, it is required that the operator shall seal all cracks, crevices and apertures in porous walls and floors in such a way as will confine the gas to the premises intended to be treated.
(E) Locking rooms and adjoining rooms or apartments. Before fumigation, it is required that the operator shall personally inspect all rooms and apartments ordered vacated under division (A) of this section, and be assured that they are unoccupied by persons or domestic animals. Afterwards, all doors to all rooms or apartments excepting one exit door to the rooms or apartments to be gassed shall be securely locked; in addition, such windows or other wall openings as might possibly be used to gain entrance shall be securely fastened. Immediately upon generating the gas, the door through which the operator leaves shall be securely locked and sealed, and keys to all rooms or apartments ordered vacated retained by the operator until all danger is passed. As an additional precaution, all rooms and apartments vacated shall be placarded.
(F) Warning card. Before releasing the gas, the operator shall place on all entrances a plainly legible card at least 8 inches by 12 inches in size with the following warning:
"Danger — do not enter.
This place is being fumigated with a poisonous gas and must not be entered except by fumigator until this card is removed.
By order of the Inkster City Council."
(G) Guard. It is required that whenever cyanide gas is generated in any room or portion of a structure in the city, a capable alert watchpersons or watchpersons shall remain on duty at the entrance or entrances to the room, building or enclosed space vacated for gassing, to keep people from entering while gas is present and for two hours after the room or area gassed is opened for airing. All guards or watchpersons shall be able-bodied persons. The licensed operator shall be held strictly responsible and accountable for the conduct of the guards or watchpersons. In every case where the entire building is not vacated, the licensed operator shall remain on the job during the progress of fumigation, and shall constantly supervise the occupancy of the structure to insure that no person will be endangered by gas leakage. Licensed operators shall give all guards definite and proper instruction, and shall visit the premises being fumigated at regular intervals during the process to insure that the property is properly guarded.
(H) Removal of food. Before fumigation, the operator shall see that all ice, food and drink are removed from the rooms ordered vacated; except that such food as is in sealed air-tight containers and those food products which must be boiled or cooked before serving need not be removed.
(I) Gas fires. All fires within the premises under gas shall be put out.
(J) Containers for ingredients. For containing the ingredients, a deep stoneware or crockery jar is recommended.
(K) Spilling of cyanide. Great care must be taken that no cyanide crystals be dropped on the floor or left exposed where people may come in contact with them.
(L) Acid gas ingredients. The ingredients for generating hydrocyanic acid gas shall be of such quality and shall be mixed in such proportions as will liberate sufficient gas to completely fill the rooms or apartments treated.
(M) Opening of rooms after gassing. At the conclusion of the gassing process, which shall consume not less than six hours, it shall be the duty of the operator to throw open the doors and windows of the premises, starting at the basement or first floor and continuing through the upper floors of the house until all rooms have been opened for free access of air. No person other than the operator or operators shall be permitted to enter the premises until all traces of the gas have disappeared, and in no case shall the occupants of the rooms or areas gassed be permitted to enter until six hours after airing begins. Infants and children under six years of age shall not be permitted to re-enter the premises until 12 hours after the rooms or apartments are opened for airing. The licensed operator shall be responsible for informing all occupants having children of this provision.
(N) Disposition of residue. The residue left in the jars or containers shall be poured down the toilet bowl, which shall then be flushed thoroughly with water to remove all traces of the chemicals.
(O) Report of premises fumigated. It shall be the duty of every person intending to generate or release cyanide gas for fumigating purposes to notify, in writing, the Chief of Police and the Chief of the Fire Department of the location of the building or enclosed space to be fumigated, as well as its character, and the day and hour when the work will be performed. This notification must be received at the offices of the above mentioned respective departments prior to the release of the gas and not later than 8:30 a.m. of the day upon which the job is to be undertaken, For the purpose of this subsection, 8:30 a.m. is to be construed as the time of the beginning of the working day.
('68 Code, § 4-303 (Ord. 81, passed 12-13-46) Penalty, see § 10.99