Los Angeles Municipal Code Div. 3 Enforcement

(Division and Sections Renumbered by Ord. No 154,234, Eff. 9/8/80.)

Section 93.0301 Powers of Department and Board. 93.0302 Appeals. 93.0303 New Materials and Methods of Construction. 93.0304 Inspections. 93.0305 Request for Inspection. 93.0306 Inspection of Electrical Wiring and Equipment Installation. 93.0307 Reinspection of Electric Wiring. 93.0308 Temporary Use of Current. 93.0310 Power to Stop Work. 93.0311 Authority to Condemn Installations. 93.0312 Abandoned Wiring. 93.0313 Wiring Standards. 93.0314 Responsibility for Compliance. 93.0315 Non-responsibility of City.

(Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

The powers of the Department and the Board are those enumerated in LAMC Section 98.0403.1.

(Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

Appeals or requests for slight modifications in individual cases from the requirements of this Code shall be made in accordance with the procedure established in LAMC Section 98.0403.2.

(Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

New or alternate materials and methods of construction may be approved by the Department in accordance with the provisions of LAMC Section 98.0502.

(a) All electric wiring, for which a permit is required shall be inspected and approved by the Department before being concealed, energized or used. All fees required by this Code shall be paid by the permittee prior to the energizing or use of such wiring.

(b) No person shall use, operate or maintain, or cause or permit to be used, operated or maintained, any electric wiring until it is inspected and approved.

(c) No serving agency shall supply, or cause or permit to be supplied, electric energy to any electric wiring until the wiring has been inspected and approved.

(d) Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit the temporary use of electric energy when and as specifically provided for in LAMC Section 93.0308. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

(e) Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit the inspection of any electric wiring even though no permit is required therefor.

(f) Inspections shall be required for construction or installation of electrical work done on the premises of a Fabricator to whom an approval has been issued pursuant to the provisions of Division C, Article 6, Chapter IX of the LAMC. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

EXCEPTION: State of California approved manufactured mobile homes or building.

(Amended by Ord. No. 172,593, Eff. 6/28/99, Oper. 7/1/99.)

(a) Whenever any work regulated by this Code, or any portion thereof, is ready for inspection, the Department shall be notified by the qualified installer that the work is ready for inspection. The notice shall be on forms furnished by the Department website, by telephone or to Department personnel. The notice shall be filed with the Department no later than 2:00 p.m. on the regular business day prior to the requested inspection date and not more than 72 hours before any inspection is desired. Inspections are performed on regular business days between the hours of 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Alternate inspection times may be scheduled upon request. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

(b) Requests for Fire Life Safety Inspections are made on an appointment basis only. Appointments for these inspections shall be made in person with a Fire Life Safety Inspector and the required pretest inspection sheet shall be completed prior to any scheduling.

(a) No person shall conceal, close or cover, or cause or permit to be concealed, enclosed or covered, any portion of any electrical wiring or equipment in any manner which will interfere with or prevent the inspection and approval thereof.

(b) Each obstruction which makes impracticable the making of a complete and thorough inspection of electrical wiring shall be removed upon notice (either verbal or in writing) to do so, and shall be kept removed until the electrical wiring has been inspected and approved by the Department.

(c) Before final inspection of any electric wiring, all plaster, concrete or other foreign material shall be thoroughly removed from every box and wiring enclosure, and not less than six inches of jointless conductor shall extend out of each lighting outlet box for future connection thereto.

(d) In any case where one or more taped joints made without splicing devices are found not soldered at the time of inspection, the inspector may require every joint for such electric wiring to be left untaped until the inspection and approval thereof.

(e) In any case where a splicing device is found not in conformity with all the requirements of Subsection (B) of CEC Section 110.14, the inspector may require that all covers, tape or other separate sheaths be removed from every splicing device in the installation and all the splices be pulled out of all boxes or other enclosures, and be left exposed for inspection. A ladder or other acceptable means shall be provided by the qualified installer to enable the inspector to make a thorough inspection of all the splices that are out of reach of the ground or floor. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

(f) Where there is reasonable evidence that conductors are damaged or do not comply with the requirements of this Code, the inspector may require them to be removed from raceways to determine their condition.

(g) Fixtures, appliances, devices or equipment shall not be connected to any electrical wiring until the rough electrical wiring, including conductors, has been inspected and approved, except as otherwise satisfactory to the Department.

(h) All wiring shall be free from grounds, shorts, or other defects before approval thereof.

(i) Whenever any electrical wiring or equipment has been inspected and found to comply with the provisions of this Code, the Department inspector shall leave a notice of approval on the inspection record card,

Department website or other suitable place. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

(j) The qualified installer shall upon request by the inspector, provide ladders or other means suitable to the inspector, to facilitate inspections of all electric wiring which is not accessible from the ground or floor.

(k) The qualified installer shall arrange for inspection, during the progress of installation of concealed supports for lighting fixtures and appliances, and for the inspection of fixtures assembled on the ceiling, and shall provide for all means necessary for weight tests and other inspections the Department considers necessary.

(l) In addition to the requirements of Division 3, Article 3, Chapter IX of the LAMC for inspections, a satisfactory acceptance testing of the entire emergency systems, legally required standby and critical operations systems installation and function shall be made on the complete system in the presence and under the direction of a representative of the Department and the Los Angeles City Fire Department prior to final approval.

The annual testing of the fire warning, emergency, legally required standby and critical operations systems shall be conducted by the Los Angeles City Fire Department. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

(Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

(a) The Department is hereby authorized to inspect or reinspect electric wiring installed prior to or after the effective date of this Code.

(b) When any unapproved wiring is found, the Department may condemn the installation under the provisions of LAMC Section 93.0311. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

(a) The Department may permit, at its discretion, the temporary use of electrical energy for electrical wiring, before final approval thereof, whenever unnecessary hardship would otherwise result, and inspection can effectively be made after the commencement of the temporary use.

(b) The Department shall place those restrictions upon temporary use as necessary to insure safety, to secure compliance with all other provisions of this Code, and to facilitate inspection.

(c) No temporary use of electrical energy shall be permitted in any case where a hazard to life and property would be created.

(d) The temporary use of electrical energy may be ordered discontinued and the supply disconnected upon proper notice as prescribed in LAMC Section 93.0311. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

(e) Nothing contained in this section shall be considered to permit or authorize the sale or use of any electrical equipment not "APPROVED" in accordance with Division 4, Article 3, Chapter IX of the LAMC. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

(a) The Department is hereby authorized to stop the installation of electric wiring or the concealment thereof, whenever an installation is being done in violation of this Code, or where a hazard to life and property is created until the hazard or violation has been eliminated. (Amended by Ord. No. 161,316, Eff. 7/7/86.)

(b) The notice to stop work shall be in writing, served as provided in the Los Angeles Municipal Code, upon the person violating or responsible for the violation of this Code.

(c) No person shall fail, neglect or refuse to comply with a stop work notice.

(a) When the Department determines that an electrical installation is in violation of this Code, an order shall be given to the owner or person in responsible charge of the installation to either remove or replace the installation. The order shall be in writing and shall specify the particulars in which the installation is in violation and shall fix a reasonable time for compliance with the order. In cases of extreme danger to life or property, as determined by the Department, the order shall further require that all persons cease using electric current through the installation and to disconnect the installation at once.

(b) If the violations continue to exist by the expiration of the time fixed by the order, or should the Department find that persons are using an installation that has been ordered disconnected, the Department is hereby authorized to physically disconnect the portion of the installation in violation, or to order the serving agency to disconnect electric service to the consumer’s wiring system.

(c) Where a disconnection has been made by the Department a seal shall be attached to the electric wiring at the point of disconnection.

(d) The seal shall be of metal and shall be attached to a tag not less than three inches by four inches in size of substantial paper or cardboard, red in color, and bearing a printed warning that the installation has been sealed by the Department. No person shall break, mutilate, destroy or remove the seal or tag, or energize the wiring until the seal has been removed by the Department. When the required changes or repairs have been made and the work inspected and approved, the Department shall cause the seal to be removed.

(e) When an electric wiring installation has been sealed by the Department, a person who causes, permits or allows their agent, servant, employee or other persons to use such installation prior to the removal of the seal by the Department or after the seal has been removed or broken by any person other than a representative of the Department, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

(f) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to require a person to change wiring which complied with the laws and regulations in effect at the time of installation and which is maintained to comply with those regulations. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

EXCEPTIONS:

1. When the Department determines that the wiring may become a hazard to life and property.

2. Where the occupancy of the building or premises has been changed in accordance with LAMC Sections 91.8203 and 93.0111.

3. Where cord wiring is found in dwelling occupancies it shall be replaced by not less than two approved receptacle outlets in each kitchen, living room and bedroom. A receptacle outlet, which may be

one of the kitchen receptacle outlets, must be provided for each washing machine. Kitchen receptacle outlets shall be supplied by at least two branch circuits, one of which may also supply lighting circuits.

4. Where existing plug fuseholders are used in new circuits or in existing circuits with new electric wiring they shall be provided with TYPE S fuse adapters. The Department shall require all the

fuseholders in an existing panelboard to be provided with TYPE S adapters where evidence or bridging, tampering or conditions of over-fusing are found in over 10% of the total number of fuses.

5. Where changes are made to utility company transformers or distribution system of existing electrical installations that causes an increase of available short-circuit currents, provisions shall be made as

required by CEC Article 110, Sections 110.9 and 110.10 to protect the equipment.

When a circuit is abandoned or discontinued, its conductors shall be removed from the raceways, or shall be insulated and maintained in wiring enclosures as if in use. (Added by Ord. No. 154,234, Eff. 9/8/80.)

(Added by Ord. No. 182,851, Eff. 1/3/14.)

By special permission, premises wiring not covered by this Code may be installed per recognized provisions of wiring standards approved by the Department.

Every person installing, altering, repairing, using or maintaining electric wiring shall be responsible for compliance with this Code.

Neither the City of Los Angeles, nor any department, board, commission, officer or employee thereof shall be held liable or responsible for any damage or injury caused by or resulting from the issuance of any permit issued, or any inspection or approval made under the provisions of this Code.