Question & AnswerQ&A (DOLE DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 15, S. 2001, DECEMBER 18, 2001)
An Internal Combustion Engine is a two or four stroke cycle piston engine where heat energy is developed by burning the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber producing mechanical energy in the form of reciprocating and rotating forces to drive a piston, shaft or propeller. The diesel engine is the principal internal combustion engine for stationary power plants.
It applies to portable/mobile generating units, standby units for power failure, engine-driven generators in power plants, prime movers for industrial manufacturing, and all internal combustion engines used in construction and agricultural services, except those engines used in transportation such as automobiles, aircraft engines, compressors, or marine motors.
Yes. No internal combustion engine shall be installed or operated without a permit issued by the Secretary of Labor and Employment or his duly authorized representative.
The application must be filed through the Regional Labor Office and accompanied by the manufacturer’s data sheets, working drawings, foundation design computations, installation and site location plans, and vicinity map; five copies in white or blue print signed and sealed by a professional mechanical engineer and signed by the owner.
Inspection shall be conducted during the foundation construction and installation phase, before placing into service after installation, before placing into service after modification, and periodically at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
The engine room should be at least 3.0 meters in height or as specified by the manufacturer.
Foundations must be concrete with class A mixture, poured monolithically, able to support design loads safely, isolated from floor slabs by 25 mm, use specified size foundation bolts (minimum 12 mm diameter), and the engine should be placed only after seven days curing and operated after 20 days or per manufacturer specifications.
Plans must include vicinity and location plans, room layout, installation and foundation plans, engine data and specifications, and foundation design computation; all plans in five copies, drawn to scale (minimum 1:100), signed and sealed by a professional mechanical engineer and signed by the owner/manager.
Power piping shall be designed of sufficient strength, equipped with safety or relief valves and indicating devices, installed with proper discharge outlets for safety valves, provided with loops, bends, and expansion joints, made by qualified welders, use standard color coding, have proper supports and guards, and comply with the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineering Code Chapter 11 standards.
They are required to undergo random Non-Destructive Testing using Radiographic Examination or Ultrasonic Test prior to operation and must also pass hydrostatic tests with pressure at least 1.5 times the operating pressure for specified durations.