Subchapter B. CEREAL MILLS, MALT HOUSES AND
GRAIN ELEVATORS
GENERAL PROVISIONS Sec.
47.51. Scope.
47.52. Penalty.
SPECIFICATIONS
47.61. Buildings and elevators.
47.62. Mechanical power transmission apparatus.
47.63. Fire protection of boilerrooms.
47.64. General requirements.
47.65. Waste and foreign substances.
47.66. Dust.
47.67. Fire extinguishers.
Authority The provisions of this Subchapter B issued under act of June 2, 1913 (P. L. 396, No. 267) (71 P. S. § 1442); and act of May 18, 1937 (P. L. 654, No. 174) (43 P. S. § § 25-1—25-15), unless otherwise noted.
Source The provisions of this Subchapter B adopted April 1, 1917; amended through July 1, 1968, unless otherwise noted.
GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 47.51. Scope.
This Subchapter sets forth rules to safeguard the lives, limbs and health of workers employed in cereal mills, malt houses and grain elevators, and places the responsibility of complying with this subchapter upon both employer and employe.
§ 47.52. Penalty.
Any person who violates this subchapter or any regulations of the Department or who interferes with the Department or its duly authorized representative in the enforcement of these provisions or regulations shall be penalized under section 15 of act of May 18, 1937 (P. L. 654, No. 174) (43 P. S. § 25-15).
SPECIFICATIONS
§ 47.61. Buildings and elevators.
(a) Application. The standards as set out in this subchapter apply to all establishments commonly known as flour, feed, cereal mills and grain elevators, and to malt house elevators where such elevators are specifically referred to.
(b) Approval. Plans and specifications for all new mills constructed shall be submitted in duplicate to the Department for inspection, and no new building shall be operated as a mill until approved by the Department.
(c) Elevator pits. Pits for elevator boots shall be constructed of cement or its equivalent, and have a clearance of not less than three feet on one side or two on each of two sides of the boots.
(d) Automatic stops. Elevators for employes shall have an automatic stop to prevent the passengers from being carried over the top.
§ 47.62. Mechanical power transmission apparatus.
(a) Emergency stops. Emergency stops are not required in cereal mills, malt houses and grain elevators. The apparatus shall be arranged so that they may be stopped as a whole, as promptly as practicable, and in a manner which meets the approval of the Department.
(b) Guarding. The Department may upon written application grant an exception to the requirements as to guarding of individual shafts, pulleys and belts in basements containing only power transmission equipment and machines not operated from the basement, if there are no entrances to the basement from the exterior of the mill and if each entrance to the basement from the mill is equipped with a self-closing door or gate with a sign on it as follows:
DANGER
RUNNING MACHINERY
KEEP OUT
(c) Additional exception. In basements containing machines operated from the basement, the exception set forth in subsection (a) may be similarly granted for the shafts, pulleys and belts in that part of the basement in which there are no machines if the following conditions exist:
(1) There are no entrances to the basement from the exterior of the mill.
(2) A standard railing separates this part from that containing the machine.
(3) Each entrance to that part of the basement containing no machines has a self-closing door or gate with a sign on it as follows:
DANGER
RUNNING MACHINERY
KEEP OUT
(d) Overhead belts. Overhead belts with the lower part 7 feet or less from the floor or working platform level may be considered as guarded if located over a machine or other permanent construction, so that it is impossible for any one to pass between them.
§ 47.63. Fire protection of boilerrooms.
In all existing mills it is recommended that each interior opening from boilerrooms and enginerooms have, on one side of the wall, an approved automatic self-closing fire door. When the boilerroom is situated in the basement or cellar it is recommended that the walls and ceiling be fireproof and have no opening to the mill proper, except those necessary for the transmission of power, light, heat and water. When steam and exhaust pipes pass through partitions which are not of fireproof construction it is recommended that such pipes be incased in asbestos or other approved fire-resisting casing, or so supported as to allow an air space of 1/2 inch between the pipes and any part of the partition. In any new mills, it is recommended that the boilerroom connect only with the engineroom, and be separated from the engineroom and the mill proper by a fire wall parapeted three feet above the roof, having no openings, except those necessary for the transmission of power, light, heat and water. There shall be one entrance between the boilerroom, and the engineroom, protected with an approved automatic self-closing fire door.
§ 47.64. General requirements.
(a) Artificial lighting. All buildings shall be constructed to afford ample daylight for all working parts. Artificial lights shall be provided in accordance with Chapter 27 (relating to lighting) when daylight is not available. In spaces occupied by machinery, or in spaces where dust may collect, open lights are not permitted, except gas lights with hoods, approved by the insurance underwriters. Only standard enclosed tubular lanterns shall be used.
(b) Belt conveyors. All belt conveyors for receiving grain shall have at the point of charge, a hood connected with an exhaust fan of sufficient capacity to remove or prevent the escape of all dust arising from the conveyor, and the fan shall be kept in operation when the conveyor is in use, unless another equally effective dust removing system is provided. This requirement shall not apply to the point at which a railroad car hopper discharges onto a belt conveyor.
(c) Grain garners and malt house elevators. It is recommended that tops of grain garners over scales be covered with wood, metal or other impervious material, and the covers be tight fitting to prevent entirely the escape of dust. This recommendation applies to malt house elevators.
(d) Grain hoppers. Until grain is thoroughly cleaned, hoppers for weighing shall be provided with tight fitting covers of wood, metal or other material, impervious to dust and with flexible dustproof connections to the botton of the garner, if there is a garner. This requirement applies only to weighing hoppers located indoors and to malt house elevators.
(e) Piping. The piping of all exhaust systems and all ducts shall be kept tight.
§ 47.65. Waste and foreign substances.
(a) It is recommended that metal cans with self-closing covers be placed on each floor of buildings containing machinery in which to place oiling waste or other combustible material.
(b) Before grain is ground or passes to grinding machines, it is recommended that foreign substances be removed by separators, or proper sieves or magnets.
§ 47.66. Dust.
(a) Dust or stive rooms shall not be used. A fan discharging dust shall discharge either to the outer air at such points where the dust may not reenter the mill or an adjacent building, or to a dust collector, and the air vent or outlet to every cyclone dust collector shall discharge to the outer air or to another dust collector. All tubular dust collectors, shall be maintained in a proper state of repair to prevent leakage of dust into the room. A fan, which discharges into any dust collector, shall be kept in operation at all times while the machine or machines with which it is connected are in operation. There shall be no direct connection between dust collectors and boiler rooms or incinerators. This requirement applies to malt house elevators.
(b) Mills and all buildings, structures, and elevators used in connection with the operation of mills shall be kept thoroughly clean and free from dust. Dust shall be removed from floors and machinery daily, and all other parts of the mill, including fixtures, bearings, ledges, projections, side walls and ceilings, and all buildings, structures and elevators, shall be kept free from all accumulation of dust. This requirement also applies to malt house elevators.
§ 47.67. Fire extinguishers.
(a) It is recommended that approved 2 1/2 gallon chemical extinguishers be distributed throughout the building in the proportion of not less than one to each 2,500 square feet of floor area, and placed at readily accessible points near the usual working place of workmen. Three pails and 50 gallon cans of water may be considered the equivalent of one 2 1/2 gallon extinguisher.
(b) It is recommended that near each electric motor or other large electric appliance, at least a one quart chemical extinguisher of carbon tetrachloride type should be provided. This recommendation also applies to malt house elevators but not to buildings equipped with an approved sprinkler system.
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