Codes, Standards, and Regulations
Domain 4 - Codes, Standards, and Regulations. This domain tests the Michigan legal framework, the codes incorporated into it, and who may do what to a boiler.
Michigan framework
Boiler construction, installation, inspection, and operator licensing in Michigan are administered under the Boiler Act, 1965 PA 290, as amended, by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes, Boiler Division. Administrative rules implement the Act. A boiler may not be operated until it has been inspected and a certificate issued; the certificate must be posted, and operating beyond its pressure limit or expiration is a violation. High-pressure boiler operation requires an appropriately licensed operator. Pressure-part repairs require an NBIC R-stamp holder and usually prior approval.
Incorporated standards
ASME Section I (power boilers), Section IV (heating boilers), Section VIII (unfired pressure vessels), ASME CSD-1 (heating boiler controls), NFPA 85 (power boiler and burner systems), NBIC (inspection, repair, alteration), and ASME B31.1 (piping). Know which document governs which question - the exam often tests jurisdiction, not just content.
Worked example
A school replaces its heating boiler with a 30 psig steam unit. Because the steam pressure exceeds 15 psig, this is not a Section IV heating boiler; it falls under Section I as a power boiler, requires high-pressure inspection, and needs a licensed high-pressure operator. The building's old low-pressure habits and CSD-1-only controls do not carry over.
Traps
Assuming a local or insurance inspection substitutes for the state certificate; confusing NBIC repair rules with ASME design rules; thinking a low-pressure license covers a 30 psig boiler; altering a nameplate or set pressure without approval.