(a)  No boiler or pressure vessel shall be erected within this state unless it is constructed and equipped with safety devices in compliance with the standards and rules set forth in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Any person erecting or installing any boiler or pressure vessel shall notify the division to that effect. Upon that notice, the administrator shall then satisfy himself or herself, by inspection or other evidence satisfactory to him or her, that the boiler complies with the requirements of this chapter. Upon being satisfied, the administrator, upon payments by that person of a fee set by the code commission of occupational safety and health, shall issue a certificate.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 28-25-10

  • Authorized inspector: means an inspector of boilers and/or pressure vessels employed by the state of Rhode Island or an insurance company authorized to write boiler or pressure vessel insurance or of an authorized owner/user organization. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-25-1
  • Boiler: means a closed vessel in which water or other liquid is heated, steam or vapor generated, steam is superheated, or in which any combination of these functions is accomplished, under pressure or vacuum, for use externally to itself, by the direct application of energy from the combustion of fuels or from electricity or nuclear energy. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-25-1
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Owner: means any person owning, operating, or in charge or control of any boiler or pressure vessel as defined in this section including the chief administrative officer in the private or public sector. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-25-1
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Pressure vessel: means a vessel in which the pressure is obtained from an external source or by the application of heat other than those vessels defined in subsection (7) of this section. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-25-1

(b)  Any person erecting or installing a new or second-hand boiler or pressure vessel shall first make application for a permit to install to the division of occupational safety, boiler unit, at a fee established by the code commission. The administrator shall then satisfy himself or herself either by inspection or by other evidence satisfactory to him or her that the boiler or pressure vessel complies with the requirements of this chapter, and upon being satisfied, the administrator shall upon payment of the required fee furnish to the owner of the boiler or pressure vessel a certificate to that effect.

(c)  It shall be mandatory that the organization performing the repair/alteration notify the division of occupational safety, boiler unit, or an authorized inspector before initiating any alterations or welded repairs to any boiler or pressure vessel within the state. Upon completion of the alteration or welded repair, a properly executed alteration or welded repair form as outlined in the NBIC shall be filed with the division.

(d)  The state adopts the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for new construction and the National Board Inspection Code for repairs and alterations to boilers and pressure vessels. It is mandatory that all repair contractors hold the appropriate ASME certificate of authorization or a valid National Board “R” (repair) or “VR” (safety valve repair) symbol stamp issued by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors, as applicable.

(e)  Antique boilers or unfired pressure vessels used in public, nonprofit, engineering, and/or scientific museums operated for educational, historical, or exhibition purposes shall be approved prior to operation in this state on an individual basis. Approval for operation will be given only after satisfactory review of drawings and calculations, application of a hydrostatic test at a pressure deemed necessary by the jurisdictional authority, and the boiler or pressure vessel is equipped with all the approved safety devices as required by the rules and regulations promulgated by the board.

History of Section.
P.L. 1919, ch. 1770, § 6; G.L. 1923, ch. 94, § 6; G.L. 1938, ch. 297, § 6; G.L. 1956, § 28-25-8; P.L. 1977, ch. 255, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 376, § 1; P.L. 1979, ch. 99, § 1; P.L. 1985, ch. 508, § 1; P.L. 1986, ch. 337, § 1.