Los Angeles County Municipal Code Ch. 11.58 Electrical Materials and Appliances

No person, firm or corporation shall hereafter sell, offer for sale, loan, rent, dispose of by gift or premium, give or otherwise furnish, provide or make available for use any electrical material, device or appliance designed or intended for attachment, directly or indirectly, to any electrical system, circuit or electrical service for light, heat or power in the unincorporated area of the county of Los Angeles, unless such electrical material, device or appliance complies with the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 4388 § 1, 1944.)

All electrical materials, devices and appliances, designed or intended for attachment, directly or indirectly, to any electrical system, circuit or electrical service for light, heat or power shall be only those which conform with the requirements of this chapter and of rules and regulations adopted pursuant hereto. Each such article shall bear or contain the maker's name, trademark or identification symbol, together with such rating by the manufacturer as may be necessary to determine the intended use. The correct volts and amperes, or volts and watts shall be stated, and no person, firm or corporation shall remove, alter, deface or obliterate any such marking.

(Ord. 4388 § 2, 1944.)

All electrical materials, devices and appliances covered by and intended to be regulated by this chapter shall conform with the National Safety Standards for such materials, devices and appliances on file in the office of the National Bureau of Standards, as such standards exist when any such material, device or appliance is submitted for approval, and such standards are declared to be the minimum standards required to provide an adequate degree of safety to life and property in the unincorporated area of the county of Los Angeles.

(Ord. 4388 § 3, 1944.)

Whenever the term "chief electrical inspector" is used in any section of this chapter, other than this section, such term shall be construed to mean "county engineer," or his authorized representative.

(Ord. 9510 § 1 (part), 1968; Ord. 4388 § 4, 1944.)

Listing or labeling of materials, devices and appliances by the Underwriters' Laboratory, or other testing laboratory approved by the chief electrical inspector as complying with standards on file with the United States Bureau of Standards, may be accepted by the chief electrical inspector as prima facie evidence of the conformity of such materials, devices and appliances with corresponding provisions of the standards of the county, or of corresponding rules and regulations adopted under this chapter.

(Ord. 4388 § 5, 1944.)

Where no standards have been adopted for any such materials, devices or appliances, the chief electrical inspector may designate a standard for each such article submitted and tested, which designation shall be in writing and shall be adopted and promulgated in the manner provided in this chapter. Any such standards so prescribed shall be designed to provide, as a minimum, the degree of safety to life and property as is required by the standards adopted in this chapter for materials, devices or appliances of similar or related character or nature. Before the chief electrical inspector approves any such material, device or appliance, he may require that such article be submitted to a testing laboratory approved by him in order to show compliance with the designated standards.

(Ord. 4388 § 6, 1944.)

In the rebuilding or repair of any electrical materials, devices or appliances described in Section 11.58.010, all parts replaced or repaired shall conform in all particulars with the standards hereby provided for.

(Ord. 4388 § 13, 1944.)

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to electrical materials, devices and appliances which are the subject matter of regulation in the Los Angeles County Building Code and Electrical Code, set out at Title 26 and Title 27, respectively, of this code, heretofore adopted and in effect as of the date of the ordinance codified in this chapter.

(Ord. 4388 § 8, 1944.)

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to electrical materials, devices and appliances installed by or for an electric utility for its use in the generation, transmission, distribution or metering of electrical energy.

(Ord. 4388 § 12, 1944.)

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to electrical materials, devices or appliances designed or intended for attachment, directly or indirectly, to any electrical system, circuit or electrical service for light, heat or power operating at a primary voltage of not more than 25 volts and consuming not more than 50 watts.

(Ord. 4388 § 10, 1944.)

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to those industrial appliances which are to be used in a specific location and which have been submitted to a laboratory for approval to determine their conformity with the standards provided for in this chapter, but with respect to which final approval by such laboratory is still pending, providing that an exception is applied for and granted in the manner herein prescribed. The person desiring to make such installation shall submit an application in writing for such exception to the chief electrical inspector, accompanied by written evidence satisfactory to such inspector, indicating that laboratory approval has been applied for. Such exception, if granted by the chief electrical inspector, shall continue in force only during such time as the inspector believes that the testing laboratory will grant final approval certifying compliance to the prescribed standards. If for any reason the chief electrical inspector believes that the testing laboratory has not made an adequate test of materials, devices or appliances, he may require further tests by the laboratory or by another laboratory approved by him.

(Ord. 4388 § 11, 1944.)

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to electrical laboratory and biomedical equipment and appliances which are not available for purchase with a listing or labeling by the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., or other nationally recognized testing laboratory approved by the chief electrical inspector, when such electrical laboratory and biomedical equipment and appliances are:

A.

Used for spectrometry, chromatography, microscopy or related or ancillary medical, forensic or similar scientific purposes; and

B.

Located in areas specifically designated for occupance by medical/technical employees only; and

C.

Tested and maintained by either trained technicians or manufacturer's representatives.

(Ord. 84-0235 § 1, 1984.)

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to motor vehicles or to motor vehicle equipment.

(Ord. 4388 § 9, 1944.)

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to electrical telecommunications equipment not available for purchase with a listing or labeling by the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., or other nationally recognized testing laboratory approved by the chief electrical inspector, when such electrical telecommunications equipment is:

A.

Located in areas accessible only to trained technicians;

B.

Certified by an electrical engineer licensed to practice in California as complying with California and national safety standards;

C.

Tested and maintained by either trained technicians or manufacturer's representatives.

(Ord. 86-0150 § 1, 1986.)

Any approval granted by the chief electrical inspector may be revoked by him if the electrical materials, devices or appliances are found to be hazardous to life and property for the purpose used or intended, or do not conform with the standards under which they were approved for use. Before any approval may be withdrawn, the chief electrical inspector shall give notice in writing to the person to whom approval was granted. Such person, who has had approval withdrawn, shall be afforded an opportunity to be heard with respect thereto at a public hearing to be held thereon as specified in Section 11.58.160 of this chapter.

(Ord. 4388 § 7, 1944.)

The enforcement of this chapter shall be within the building and safety division of the department of county engineer and under the jurisdiction of the chief electrical inspector of said department.

(Ord. 9510 § 1 (part), 1968; Ord. 4388 § 14, 1944.)

The chief electrical inspector may delegate to any of his assistants any of his powers under this chapter, except the power to designate standards.

(Ord. 4388 § 15, 1944.)

Any person who has had approval withdrawn, and any person who believes that enforcement of any of the provisions of this chapter will cause him a manifest injury, may appeal to the county engineer, in writing, for a hearing.

(Ord. 9510 § 1 (part), 1968; Ord. 4388 § 17, 1944.)

This chapter shall not be construed as relieving or limiting in any way the responsibility or liability of any person owning or operating, controlling or installing any electrical materials, devices or appliances for personal injury or property damage resulting from the use thereof by reason of any defect therein, or for any other cause, nor shall it be construed as imposing upon the county or its officers or employees any responsibility or liability by reason of the approval of any materials, devices or appliances under the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 4388 § 16, 1944.)

Any person, firm or corporation, or any partner or officer, agent or employees thereof violating the provisions of this chapter or of the Standards for Electrical Materials, Devices and Appliances hereby adopted, or of any of the rules or regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by fine of not more than $500.00 or imprisonment in the County Jail for not more than six months, or both such fine and imprisonment.

(Ord. 4388 § 18, 1944.)

If any provisions of this chapter, or the application thereof to any person or circumstances, are held invalid, the remainder of the chapter, or the application of such provisions to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected thereby.

(Ord. 4388 § 19, 1944.)