Absences from Plants
21. (1) Where a guarded plant complies with the requirements of section 22 and the protective devices are functioning properly, the operating engineer or operator in charge of a guarded plant mentioned in subsection (2) may be absent from the plant to perform maintenance work and work related to the user’s utility systems on the premises in which the plant is located with the permission of, (a) the chief operating engineer or chief operator, as the case may be; or (b) the plant user, where the guarded plant has one operating engineer or operator in charge. (2) Where the user of a guarded plant complies with requirements of section 22 and the protective devices are functioning properly, whether the plant operates twenty-four hours a day or less, the user shall, (a) have one stationary engineer, compressor operator or refrigeration operator, as the case may be, in charge of, (i) a guarded low-pressure stationary plant having a Therm-hour rating of 100 or less, (ii) a guarded stationary power plant having a Therm-hour rating of 34 or less, (iii) a guarded steam-powered plant having a Therm-hour rating of 10.176 or less, (iv) a guarded plant comprised of one or more commercial water tube boilers, where each boiler contains steam at a pressure of fifteen pounds per square inch or less or water at a temperature of 250_F or less, and the total Therm-hour rating of the boilers is 400 or less, (v) a guarded plant comprised of one or more commercial water tube boilers, where each boiler contains steam at a pressure of more than fifteen pounds per square inch of water at a temperature of more than 250_F and the total Therm-hour rating of the boilers is 134 or less, (vi) a guarded compressor plant having a Therm-hour rating of 10.176 or less, or (vii) a guarded refrigeration plant having a Therm-hour rating of 5.088; (b) have one stationary engineer (fourth class) in charge, and a stationary engineer on each succeeding shift of, (i) a guarded low-pressure stationary plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 100 and up to and including 134, or (ii) a guarded stationary power plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 34 and up to and including 50; (c) have a stationary engineer (third class), compressor operator or refrigeration operator in charge and a stationary engineer, compressor operator or refrigeration operator, as the case may be, on each succeeding shift of, (i) a guarded low-pressure stationary plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 134 and up to and including 400, (ii) a guarded stationary power plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 50 and up to and including 134, (iii) a guarded compressor plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 10.176 and up to and including 20.352, (iv) a guarded refrigeration plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 5.088 and up to and including 20.352, or (v) a guarded steam powered plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 10.176 up to and including 20.352; (d) have one stationary engineer (second class), compressor operator or refrigeration operator (Class A) in charge and a stationary engineer (third class), compressor operator or refrigeration operator, as the case may be, on each succeeding shift of, (i) a guarded low-pressure stationary plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 400, (ii) a guarded stationary power plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 134 and up to and including 400, (iii) a guarded compressor plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 20.352, or (iv) a guarded refrigeration plant having a Therm-hour rating of more than 20.352; and (e) unless otherwise authorized by the chief officer, have one stationary engineer (third class) in charge of a thermal liquid boiler during such times as the boiler is in operation, whether the boiler operates twenty-four hours a day or less. (3) In a plant that is not guarded, the operating engineer or operator in charge of, (a) a stationary power plant with a Therm-hour rating not exceeding fifty; (b) a low-pressure stationary plant with a Therm-hour rating not exceeding 134; or (c) a steam-powered plant, a refrigeration plant or a compressor plant with a Therm-hour rating not exceeding 5.088, may be absent as provided for in section 19 of the Act from the plant for not more than fifteen minutes in any one hour. (4) The user of a plant in which there is installed as part of the plant, (a) a guarded compressor with a Therm-hour rating exceeding 1.145 and not exceeding 3.816; (b) a guarded refrigeration compressor with a Therm-hour rating exceeding 0.7632 and not exceeding 2.544; (c) a guarded boiler for steam at a pressure of fifteen pounds per square inch or less and for water at a temperature of more than 212_F and not more than 250_F and having a Therm-hour rating exceeding ten and not exceeding fifty; or (d) a guarded boiler for steam at a pressure of more than fifteen pounds per square inch or for water at a temperature of more than 250_F and with a Therm-hour rating exceeding five and not exceeding seventeen, shall ensure that when any one such guarded compressor or guarded boiler is operated no other part of the plant is operated unless a person who is qualified under section 15 of the Act is present in the plant as provided for in section 19 of the Act. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 904, s. 21. Fail-Safe Devices