School District Boiler Inspections
By Matt Komac, MSGIA Assistant Director for Property & Liability Pool Operations
The summer break is an excellent time to have your school district’s boilers inspected. Montana Law requires that all automatically fired boilers in schools must be inspected once each year. http://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/50/74/50-74-209.htm School Districts that are part of MSGIA’s Property and Liability program receive annual boiler inspections at no cost. Matt Komac, MSGIA’s Assistant Director for Property & Liability Pool Operations, coordinates these inspections with Hartford Steam Boiler, the company that handles the inspections.
Preparing for inspections
Our goal is to complete a thorough state-certified inspection without disrupting your operations. We know that you’re busy, so it’s important that the Hartford Steam Boiler inspectors use the time as efficiently as possible to make sure your equipment complies with state regulations. These steps will help you prepare for an inspection:
For External Boiler Inspections
- Schedule the appointment when the boiler operator or maintenance personnel are available to perform any testing of controls and safety devices;
- Inform the operator of the date and time of the inspection---be sure s/he is onsite when the inspector arrives;
- Make sure the current certificate of inspection is posted;
- Keep clutter and debris out of the boiler room. This is important for safety reasons and because the boiler inspector needs to have access to the equipment.
Internal Boiler Inspections
Some boilers require periodic internal inspections to comply with Montana requirements. In addition to the steps listed above, the following actions should be taken by the school district to prepare for an inspection:
- Arrange to have the boiler cool;
- Remove manhole and handhole covers;
- Clean all boiler surfaces thoroughly, internally and externally;
- If the boiler has a low water fuel supply cut out, have the device dismantled for a complete examination of all parts;
- Disconnect the feed line connection at the boiler.
Hartford Steam Boiler will call you in advance to schedule the inspection, allowing you time to prepare the boilers and to make sure the operators are available. If you have questions regarding an inspection, please contact Matt Komac, at 1-877-667-7392. Return to newsletter