Legal basis and covered regulatory areas
- Article 162 of Presidential Decree No. 442 (Labor Code) authorizes the issuance of these workplace safety rules.
- The rules establish safety requirements for Internal Combustion Engines under RULE 1180.
- The rules establish safety requirements for Power Piping Lines under RULE 1240.
- The rules require minimum standards by reference to the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineering (PSME) Code and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
Internal combustion engine scope
- The internal combustion engine rules apply to:
- Portable/mobile generating units moved from site to site where electrical power is required.
- Standby units normally idle, activated when failure of central station power causes financial loss or danger to life and property (e.g., tunnel lighting, operating rooms, key industrial processes).
- Engine driven generator units in power plants where they are the normal primary source of electrical power for industrial and general utility services.
- Prime movers for industrial manufacturing processes and services.
- All internal combustion engines used in construction and agricultural services and other similar applications.
- The rules exclude engines used in transportation such as automobile, aircraft engine, gas or liquid compressor engine, marine or ship motor engines.
- The term “Diesel engine” is stated as the principal internal combustion engine for stationary power plant.
- Installation and operation are regulated through permits and clearance by the Secretary of Labor and Employment or a duly authorized representative.
Internal combustion engines: key definitions
- “Internal Combustion Engine” means a two or four stroke cycle piston engine where heat energy is developed by burning the air-fuel mixture (gas, diesel, oil, etc.) inside the combustion chamber to produce mechanical energy through expanding gases driving a piston, shaft or propeller.
- “Horsepower (hp)” is the amount of energy or work required to raise, create or force a weight of 33,000 pounds to a height or distance of one-foot in one-minute time, and is a standard unit of power equivalent to 746 watts or 746 joules/second.
Internal combustion engines: permitting and reporting
- No internal combustion engine shall be installed and/or operated in the Philippines without a permit issued for that purpose by the Secretary of Labor and Employment or the duly authorized representative.
- An application for installation must be filed through the Regional Labor Office concerned for processing or verification, accompanied by:
- Manufacturer’s data sheets.
- Working drawing.
- Foundation with design computation.
- Installation and site location plan.
- Vicinity map.
- The installation application must be submitted in five (5) copies in white or blue print, each duly signed and sealed by a professional mechanical engineer and duly signed by the owner.
- A permit to operate issued by the Secretary or duly authorized representative is valid for the period covered unless revoked for justifiable reasons (e.g., unsafe to operate).
- Removal and/or change of location of an internal combustion engine must be reported to the Regional Labor Office concerned and is considered as a new installation.
- Change of ownership of an internal combustion engine must be reported to and applied with the Regional Labor Office concerned.
- Personnel requirements for operation must comply with Republic Act No. 8495 (Mechanical Engineering Law).
Internal combustion engines: standards and inspection
- Minimum requirements for installation plan checking, inspection, and other considerations use:
- Chapter 2 of the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineering (PSME) Code, and
- Rule 1060 of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
- Regional Labor Office inspections are conducted by its duly authorized representative, accompanied by the owner’s representative and/or the supervising plant mechanical engineer, during:
- The construction phase of the foundation and/or installation.
- Before the engine is placed into service after installation.
- Before the engine is placed into service after modification.
- Periodically, at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
- On receipt of a Notice of Annual Inspection, the owner or user must order the responsible plant mechanical engineer for operation and maintenance to prepare the engine and surrounding facilities for inspection.
- During engine operation, the following must be noted:
- Crack on base foundation.
- Noise level.
- Excessive vibration.
- Exhaust gas emission level.
- Heat level.
- Ventilation system.
Engine room/building and foundation rules
- Engine room/building structures must meet safety and fire/ventilation requirements, including:
- Buildings used permanently or temporarily must be structurally safe and sound to prevent collapse.
- Roof strength must withstand normal design load, typhoon and strong winds, and suspended loads.
- Floors likely to be walked on must be even and free from hazards such as holes, splinters, improperly fitted gutters/conduits, protruding nails and bolts, projecting valves/pipes, or other stumbling obstructions.
- Floors must not be slippery under any condition.
- Engine rooms must have a minimum height of 3.0 meters or as specified by manufacturers.
- Space, doors, lighting, and ventilation requirements include:
- Adequate operating/maintenance/repair spaces with minimum 1.0 meter clearance around the engine to the engine room wall or any equipment.
- Engine rooms must have two independent doors for easy access.
- Engine rooms/buildings must be suitably lighted.
- Natural or artificial ventilation must maintain normal atmospheric conditions to avoid insufficient air supply, stagnancy of air, excessive heat, toxic gases, excessive dryness, and other objectionable odors.
- Outdoor/weatherproof housing siting and separation requirements include minimum distances from openings in walls and from combustible adjacent structures, and special placement rules for engines rated at more than 50 hp in detached structures or appropriately within/attached rooms for similar hazard conditions.
- Detached structures must be of noncombustible or fire-resistive construction and must include:
- Provision for venting a fuel explosion with minimum structural damage.
- Ventilation adequate to prevent hazardous accumulation of flammable vapors/gases when the engine is operating or shut down.
- Rooms within structures must have at least one hour fire resistance rating for interior walls, floors and ceilings; the top-floor ceiling of such a room may be non-fire-resistive if noncombustible or protected with automatic sprinklers.
- Openings from the engine room to other sections must use automatic or self-closing fire doors or dampers to confine fire to the engine room.
- Flammable gas/fluid/dust conditions require enclosing certain engines in fire-resistive enclosures with outside access only and ventilation from a non-hazardous outside area.
- Gasoline or liquefied petroleum gas fueled engines must not be installed in rooms/locations containing fired equipment or open flames.
- Fire protection equipment and exhaust/noise/air discharge rules include:
- Appropriate fire protection equipment such as fire extinguishers, fire hoses and pumps must be provided.
- Appropriate exhaust silencer must be provided to minimize or maintain noise level.
- All exhausts must be directed outside to a safe area in accordance with DENR requirements.
- Safety signages must be posted prominently in strategic locations and in a language understandable to all workers, as far as practicable.
- Foundation requirements require sufficient structural strength, isolation from slabs with at least 25 mm perimeter separation, monolithic concrete pouring, minimum concrete mix and strength specifications, and regulated waiting periods after pouring and after placement before operation:
- Foundation must be concrete with specified mix (class A mixture: 1 part cement, 2 parts sand and 4 parts broken stone or gravel (50 mm. max.)) or at least 211.36 kg/cm2 (3000 psi).
- Foundation must be poured monolithically with no interruption.
- Engine placement is required only after seven days from pouring; operation only after 20 days from placement (or as per manufacturer/installer specifications).
- Foundation bolts must be at least 12 mm in diameter, surrounded by a pipe sleeve, and reinforcement must avoid thermal cracking; load must be distributed over adequate soil area with a factor of safety of five (5) as a minimum.
Engine safety equipment and operational plan
- Moving parts, transmission equipment, and dangerous parts must be effectively guarded in accordance with Rule 1200 of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
- Hot surfaces must be insulated or guarded.
- On-duty personnel for engines requiring regular attendants must be provided with personal protective equipment appropriate to the hazard present.
- Before installation, the owner/manager or authorized representative must file with the Regional Labor Office concerned an application for installation accompanied by each plan sheet in blue or white print in five (5) copies.
- Engine installation plans must incorporate required plan sheets and information, including:
- Vicinity and location plans (with landmarks and an arrow indicating NORTH).
- Room layout to scale including engine position, walls materials, and at least two independent doors, with specified fire-resistive/noise-proof walling materials.
- Installation and foundation plans with front and side views, anchorage details, foundation dimensions, layout of powered equipment, main drive method, piping installation especially within 2.13 meters from the floor line, and guarding of moving/power transmission parts.
- Engine data and specifications, including BHP (factory catalog rating), manufacturer/make, type and model, serial number, bore and stroke, number of cylinders, cycle stroke and revolution per minute (rpm), fuel injection method, cooling, lubrication, governor, starting method, drive method, and application/use.
- Foundation design computation including gross machine weight, base area and foundation volume, concrete mixture type and density, local soil bearing capacity, and foundation factor of safety at least five.
- Plan size requirements with minimum and maximum sheet dimensions: 375 cm. x 530 cm., 530 cm. x 750 cm., and 750 cm. x 1065 cm..
- A required title block specification including the professional mechanical engineer’s name in print, signature and seal, registration number, PTR number, place and date issued, and Tax Identification Number; draftsman initials, date prepared, sheet number, and scale (minimum scale 1:100, except small/minute details); owner/manager’s name and signature with Tax Identification Number; and establishment name and address.
Portable/mobile engines rules
- Application for installation of a portable/mobile internal combustion engine must be filed with the Regional Labor Office concerned and include:
- Manufacturer’s data sheets.
- Working drawings showing mounting of the unit in white or blue print.
- Submission in five (5) copies.
- All plans must be drawn in standard metric scale with a minimum scale of 1:100, except for small/minute parts/details where a convenient scale may be used to clearly show details.
- Required papers/documents must be:
- Signed by the owner/manager of the unit, and
- Signed and sealed by a professional mechanical engineer.
- Annual inspection must be conducted on or before the expiration date of the permit to operate issued by the Regional Labor Office concerned.
- The inspection fee must be paid for issuance of a new permit.
- The new permit is valid for one-year operation, regardless of subsequent transfer of the unit’s location of operation, provided the permit is available at the location of operation.
Power piping lines: definitions and clearance
- “Power Piping Line” includes all steam, water, air, gas, hazardous substances, and oil piping, including components such as pipe, flanges, bolting, gaskets, valves, fittings, and other components related to steam generating plants, central heating plants, and industrial plants.
- “Installation” means assembly or connection of power piping at a location designed for safe operation in accordance with prescribed standards.
- “Cleared” means acceptance by the Regional Labor Office concerned after verification and checking of applications, plans, and other documents showing compliance.
- Application for installation of a power pipeline must be filed with the Regional Labor Office concerned for processing and evaluation, accompanied by working drawings showing location, plant piping layout, and piping specifications in five (5) copies in white/blue print, signed by the owner and signed and sealed by a professional mechanical engineer.
- No power piping line may be connected/installed without plans that are cleared by the Regional Labor Office concerned.
- No power piping line may be operated until:
- Necessary documents are submitted, and
- A final inspection is conducted, and
- A safety permit is issued upon payment of the corresponding inspection fee.
- Repair work on power pipelines must be documented and made available during periodic inspection.
Power piping lines: design, construction, and testing
- Minimum standards for design, installation, and inspection use Chapter 11 on Power Piping System of the PSME Code.
- Power piping must be designed with sufficient strength for intended use.
- Safety/relief valves and related devices must be provided, accessible, installed, and maintained in good operating condition.
- Safety valve discharge capacity must be sufficient for the pipeline size and operating pressure.
- Safety valve outlets must be installed so hazards to personnel are avoided.
- Where appropriate provisions are lacking in the PSME Code, installation of approved pressure relief devices such as rupture discs must follow the applicable mechanical engineering code of practice under supervision of a professional mechanical engineer.
- Indicating and recording devices must be protected against breakage or clogging and must be clearly visible.
- Where pressure reducing valves are used:
- Relief or safety valves must be provided on the low pressure side of the reducing valve when the low pressure side piping/equipment does not meet requirements for the full initial pressure.
- Relief or safety valves must be located adjoining or as close as possible to the reducing valve.
- Vents must be of ample size and as short and direct as possible.
- Pressure gauges must be installed on the low pressure side of a reducing valve.
- Flange connections must conform to PSME Code specifications for pressure and temperature.
- Power piping must include loops, bends, and expansion joints to avoid excessive stress failure, excessive thrusts or moments at connected components, and leakage at joints due to pipe expansion.
- Welding in power piping lines must be performed by qualified welders.
- All power pipelines must follow the standard color code required in Rule 1230 of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
- Power pipelines must have appropriate supports or hangers and guard provisions against bumps.
- Provisions on bolting, flanges, fittings, gaskets, hangers, supports, anchors, pipe sleeves, drains, drips and steam traps must conform to Chapter 11 (Power Piping System) of the PSME Code as a minimum requirement.
- All newly installed and repaired pipelines must undergo random Non-Destructive Testing prior to operation using either Radiographic Examination (RT) or Ultrasonic Test (UT).
- Hydrostatic testing requirements require:
- Blanking off the ends and protecting pressure reducing valve diaphragms (or similar) to avoid overpressure.
- Hydrostatic test pressure equal to 1.5 times the service operating pressure for:
- 24 hours for new installation, and
- 4 hours for existing repaired/installation.
Incorporation of adjacent occupational standards
- Internal combustion engine installation, plan checking, inspection, and other considerations use Chapter 2 of the PSME Code and Rule 1060 of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
- Moving parts guarding follows Rule 1200 of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards.
- Power piping design, installation, and inspection use Chapter 11 on Power Piping System of the PSME Code.
- Power pipelines’ standard color code follows Rule 1230 of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards.