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Your frickin kiddin...right?
- Thread starter chris kennedy
- Start date
mark handler
SAWHORSE
June 26, 2012
RE: New policy on the Inspection of Farm Facilities effective July 1, 2012
Dear Electrical Contractors, Utility Companies, and Electricians:
The mission of Iowa’s Electrical Licensing and Inspection program is to provide a safe electrical environment for our citizens where they work, live, or play. It is important in this economy to allocate our resources more efficiently by concentrating more on the personal life safety of individuals rather than focus our efforts entirely on structures many times that are not inhabited or occupied by people. As a result, we will be indefinitely suspending mandatory electrical inspections on a “farm facility” which has been defined as a building or structure located on a farm other than a residential, industrial, or public-use building or facility. Any farmer or farmer’s designee may, however, voluntarily request an electrical inspection for additional safety if they wish to do so.
Simply stated, once the electrical service (installed by an electrical contractor or the farmer/owner) has been released for connection, the Department of Public Safety will no longer conduct inspections of the feeders or branch circuits to the accessory buildings, grain bins, pole barns, etc. unless requested or unless those structures connect to a new or existing dwelling.
Whether inspected or not, the installation shall comply with the current edition of the National Electrical Code® as adopted by the State of Iowa. The Department of Public Safety will continue to provide electrical consultation or advice to electrical contractors, farmers, or homeowners as they continue their electrical installations.
If you have any questions, please contact your Electrical Inspector Supervisor or call the Chief Electrical Inspector, Pat Merrick at 515-725-6137.
RE: New policy on the Inspection of Farm Facilities effective July 1, 2012
Dear Electrical Contractors, Utility Companies, and Electricians:
The mission of Iowa’s Electrical Licensing and Inspection program is to provide a safe electrical environment for our citizens where they work, live, or play. It is important in this economy to allocate our resources more efficiently by concentrating more on the personal life safety of individuals rather than focus our efforts entirely on structures many times that are not inhabited or occupied by people. As a result, we will be indefinitely suspending mandatory electrical inspections on a “farm facility” which has been defined as a building or structure located on a farm other than a residential, industrial, or public-use building or facility. Any farmer or farmer’s designee may, however, voluntarily request an electrical inspection for additional safety if they wish to do so.
Simply stated, once the electrical service (installed by an electrical contractor or the farmer/owner) has been released for connection, the Department of Public Safety will no longer conduct inspections of the feeders or branch circuits to the accessory buildings, grain bins, pole barns, etc. unless requested or unless those structures connect to a new or existing dwelling.
Whether inspected or not, the installation shall comply with the current edition of the National Electrical Code® as adopted by the State of Iowa. The Department of Public Safety will continue to provide electrical consultation or advice to electrical contractors, farmers, or homeowners as they continue their electrical installations.
If you have any questions, please contact your Electrical Inspector Supervisor or call the Chief Electrical Inspector, Pat Merrick at 515-725-6137.
Msradell
Sawhorse
That actually sells very reasonable. That's the way it's usually done on farms anyway so why not just formalize it? This isn't by any stretch of the imagination and it's definitely in the farmers best interest to do things safely. If not he loses his livelihood. Sounds like one of the most sensible regulations I've read recently!
Daddy-0-
Moderator
Agricultural buildings are exempt from permits and inspections in Virginia. Have been for years.
Dennis
Gold Member
NC is the same-- if it is a barn then no inspection is required however you still need to wire it to code- inspection or not.
chris kennedy
Sawhorse
547 be damned.
pyrguy
Moderator
Arizona has a similar rule.
Frank
Registered User
Youalls are being awfully restrictive on farmers--Virginia exempts farm buildings not used as a residence or liensed restaraunt from all building and fire code requirements except flood profing and mudslide regulations. No permits, no inspections and build it however ya want.
Mac
Gold Member
Ditto NY - Ag Buidings exemption.
fatboy
Administrator
Our county has an Ag exempt rule on buildings, but still requires electrical permits and inspections.
codeworks
Gold Member
same in vermont, ( no inspections on farms) unless it's a show farm or teaching facility. the only time it gets arttention is when cows or a farmer or hand get zapped and killed from stray voltages or old wiring that was done improperly years ago.
Amish Electrici
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2012
- Messages
- 39
Sure, one can always cobble together some scary stories to frighten the children ...
But, really, folks ... WHOS land is it anyway? Are you forgetting that you have the right to regulate me ONLY so far as I pose a risk to you? That's the whole basis if city codes .... thatis, if your house falls down, it just might fall on my house. Etc. Out in the country, that's not an issue.
Likewise, there's the matter of jurisdiction. Who issues permits? Towns. Who does not live in a town? Farmers.
Some folks are just too darn insulated from the real world. I am thinking of the new residents of rural towns, who simply love that country charm .... right up to the first time the wind shifts and they can smell the 'fertilizer.' Then they want to outlaw farming! Hence, a need for 'right to farm' laws .... I saw this in Fernley, Nv.
Likewise, I once had the owner of a new, 'stick-built' home assert that 'something' had to be done about all the 'trailers' in the area. The gent had bought a house smack in the middle of the worlds' largest "trailer park' (Sun Valley, Nv.). Whose opinion was unfair? His? Or the folks who had lived there for decades?
Sure, farmers do some terrible things. Yet - and I know this is hard for many here to imagine - but there are still major areas of the USA where even the local authorities believe that a mans' home is his castle, and are loathe to even suggest extending the reach of government.
Unintended consequences? How about folks who think it's OK to do the dumbest things, simply because "it will never be inspected?" Maybe we need to stress the WHY, rather than trot out the policeman hat at every opportunity.
But, really, folks ... WHOS land is it anyway? Are you forgetting that you have the right to regulate me ONLY so far as I pose a risk to you? That's the whole basis if city codes .... thatis, if your house falls down, it just might fall on my house. Etc. Out in the country, that's not an issue.
Likewise, there's the matter of jurisdiction. Who issues permits? Towns. Who does not live in a town? Farmers.
Some folks are just too darn insulated from the real world. I am thinking of the new residents of rural towns, who simply love that country charm .... right up to the first time the wind shifts and they can smell the 'fertilizer.' Then they want to outlaw farming! Hence, a need for 'right to farm' laws .... I saw this in Fernley, Nv.
Likewise, I once had the owner of a new, 'stick-built' home assert that 'something' had to be done about all the 'trailers' in the area. The gent had bought a house smack in the middle of the worlds' largest "trailer park' (Sun Valley, Nv.). Whose opinion was unfair? His? Or the folks who had lived there for decades?
Sure, farmers do some terrible things. Yet - and I know this is hard for many here to imagine - but there are still major areas of the USA where even the local authorities believe that a mans' home is his castle, and are loathe to even suggest extending the reach of government.
Unintended consequences? How about folks who think it's OK to do the dumbest things, simply because "it will never be inspected?" Maybe we need to stress the WHY, rather than trot out the policeman hat at every opportunity.
codeworks
Gold Member
people don't actually go into those barns do they? funny how the letter addresses life safety, and "less emphasis on structures". hello? and do you think for a minute a farmer who'g getting paid less for milk today than he was 10 years ago has timerto listen to littany of tehcnical bs from an inspector about stray voltages. not likely. not where i come from
codeworks
Gold Member
i like the caveat at the bottom of the letter also, "whether inspected or not , it has to comply..... and if they don't know the rules, or care to find out. the issue here is it costs money to do it right.