2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 32: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS › Chapter 131: BOILERS AND PRESSURE VESSELS › 32 §15109. Stationary steam engineers and boiler operators

§15109. Stationary steam engineers and boiler operators
1.  Definitions.
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Capacity" means the potential output of a steam boiler designated in pounds per hour of steam flow or its equivalent based on heating surface in the applicable chapter of the code.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
B. [PL 2017, c. 210, Pt. H, §1 (RP).]
C. "Have charge of" means the general supervisory control over the operation and maintenance of a plant and other stationary steam engineers or other personnel engaged in the operation of the plant.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
D. "Operate" means to control by observation and manipulation of mechanical or automatic and remote controls equipment in connection with a plant, but does not include persons who "have charge of" the plant.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
E. "Plant" means heating plant, power plant or process plant.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
F. "#/HR" means pounds of steam per hour output or equivalent.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
G. "Psi" means pounds per square inch.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
H. "Supervise" means to have supervisory control over the operation and maintenance of a plant, other stationary steam engineers or other personnel engaged in the operation or maintenance of a plant, but does not mean "have charge of" as defined in paragraph C.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
[PL 2017, c. 210, Pt. H, §1 (AMD).]
2.  Licenses.
[PL 2003, c. 597, §1 (RP).]
2-A.  Licenses.
In order to safeguard life, health and property, the director shall provide for the mandatory licensing of stationary steam engineers and boiler operators. This subsection does not apply to:
A. Persons operating boilers exempt under section 15102;   [PL 2003, c. 597, §2 (NEW).]
B. Persons employed by entities under the jurisdiction of the Public Utilities Commission or the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or its successor or other organization approved by the director; or   [PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §18 (AMD).]
C. Persons operating steam heating boilers, hot water heating boilers and hot water supply boilers located in schoolhouses or owned by municipalities.   [PL 2003, c. 597, §2 (NEW).]
[PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §18 (AMD).]
3.  Issuance of license.
The director shall issue a license to an applicant in the grade requested, upon payment of the application fee and license fee as set under section 15104‑C, if the applicant has satisfactorily met the examination and other requirements of this section.
A. A license expires on the date set by the commissioner pursuant to Title 10, section 8003, subsection 4 for the licensing period for which the license is issued. A license may be renewed upon receipt of the application for renewal and payment of the renewal fee as set in section 15104‑C.
A license may be renewed up to 90 days after the date of its expiration upon payment of a late fee in addition to the renewal fee as set under section 15104‑C. Any person who submits an application for renewal more than 90 days after the license expiration date shall pay an additional late fee as set under section 15104‑C and is subject to all requirements governing new applicants under this chapter, except that the director, after giving due consideration to the protection of the public, may waive examination or other requirements. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the director shall waive examination if a renewal application is made within 90 days after separation from the United States Armed Forces, under conditions other than dishonorable, by a person who has failed to renew that person's license because that person was on active duty in the Armed Forces; except that the waiver of examination may not be granted if the person served more than 4 years in the Armed Forces, except if that person is required by some mandatory provision to serve a longer period and that person submits satisfactory evidence of this mandatory provision to the director.   [PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §19 (AMD).]
B. [PL 2017, c. 210, Pt. H, §2 (RP).]
C. The director shall determine the eligibility for licensure of any applicant who holds a current stationary steam engineering license issued by the proper authority of any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia or Canada that has requirements equal to those of this State and recognizes the license issued by this State without further examination. The director shall certify as eligible for a license any applicant who holds a current Canadian marine or United States Coast Guard marine engineer's license and who has worked as a boiler engineer or operator 3 of the last 5 years prior to application. The applicant bears the burden of proving those matters necessary for a license based on reciprocity.   [PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §19 (AMD).]
[PL 2017, c. 210, Pt. H, §2 (AMD).]
4.  Denial or revocation of license.
[PL 1999, c. 386, Pt. W, §13 (RP).]
5.  Examination committee.
[PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. MM, §9 (RP).]
5-A.  Examination committee; duties.
[PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. MM, §10 (RP).]
6.  Examinations.
[PL 1999, c. 386, Pt. W, §16 (RP).]
6-A.  Examinations.
Applicants for licensure shall present to the director a written application for examination accompanied by the required fee as set under section 15104‑C. Examinations must be in whole or in part in writing and of a thorough and practical character commensurate with the responsibilities of the prospective license holder.
The passing grade on any examination may not be less than 70%.
[PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §20 (AMD).]
7.  Scope of licenses.
The scope of a boiler operator's license and 4 classes of engineering licenses is as set out in this subsection.
A.   [PL 2003, c. 597, §4 (RP).]
B. The holder of a boiler operator's license may operate, supervise or have charge of a heating plant having a capacity of not more than 20,000 #/HR or operate or supervise a plant up to the capacity of the license of the engineer in charge of the plant in which the licensee is employed. The applicant for a boiler operator's license must have 6 months' operating experience prior to examination under a boiler operator's training permit. The director shall issue a permit for the purpose of gaining that experience upon receipt of the required fee as set under section 15104‑C. Such a permit must be limited to a specified plant and must be limited to one year. The director may extend the permit for a period not to exceed one year under unusual circumstances. The director may allow the owner of a small plant to sit for the boiler operator's examination without first obtaining a boiler operator's training permit.   [PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §21 (AMD).]
C. The holder of a 4th-class engineer's license may have charge of a plant of not more than 50,000 #/HR or operate or supervise a plant up to the capacity of the license of the engineer in charge of the plant in which the licensee is employed. An applicant for a 4th-class engineer's license must be a high school graduate or have equivalent education and at least one year of operating or supervising experience under a duly licensed engineer having charge of a plant. An applicant for a 4th-class engineer's license must have at least one year operating or supervising experience as a boiler operator.   [PL 2003, c. 597, §6 (AMD).]
D. The holder of a 3rd-class engineer's license may have charge of a plant of not more than 100,000 #/HR or operate or supervise a plant up to the capacity of the license of the engineer in charge of the plant in which the licensee is employed. An applicant for a 3rd-class engineer's license must have at least one year operating or supervising experience as a 4th-class engineer.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
E. The holder of a 2nd-class engineer's license may have charge of a plant of not more than 200,000 #/HR or operate or supervise a plant up to the capacity of the license of the engineer in charge of the plant in which the licensee is employed. An applicant for a 2nd-class engineer's license must have at least 2 years operating or supervising experience as a 3rd-class engineer.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
F. The holder of a first-class engineer's license may operate, supervise or have charge of a plant of unlimited steam capacity. An applicant for a first-class engineer's license must have at least 2 years operating or supervisory experience as a 2nd-class engineer.   [PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §14 (NEW); PL 1995, c. 560, Pt. H, §17 (AFF).]
G. One year of schooling in the field of boiler operation in a school approved by the director is equivalent to 6 months of operating experience. The director may conduct an accreditation review of the technical school. The technical school shall pay a fee for the accreditation review.   [PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §22 (AMD).]
H. In the event of a lack of qualified personnel in the plant in which the applicant is employed, the director may waive the operating experience requirements of the applicant for examination for the next higher grade of license. Any such license issued must be limited to that plant.   [PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §23 (AMD).]
I. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, the director may permit an applicant to take the examination for a license if, in the director's opinion, the experience or educational qualifications, or both, of the applicant are equivalent to the operating experience required by this subsection.   [PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §23 (AMD).]
[PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §§21-23 (AMD).]
8.  Rules.
[PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §24 (RP).]
9.  Fees.
[PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. MM, §14 (RP).]
10.  Committee expenses.
[PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. MM, §15 (RP).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1995, c. 560, §H14 (NEW). PL 1995, c. 560, §H17 (AFF). PL 1997, c. 691, §2 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 127, §D5 (AFF). PL 1999, c. 386, §§W12-20 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 323, §§36-39 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 573, §A4 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 597, §§1-6 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. MM, §§7-15 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 70, Pt. C, §§18-24 (AMD). PL 2017, c. 210, Pt. H, §§1, 2 (AMD).