Plastic Pipe: Qualifying Persons to Make Joints [49 CFR 192.285]

(A)A. No person may make a plastic pipe joint unless that person has been qualified under the applicable joining procedure by: [49 CFR 192.285(a)]#

(1)1. appropriate training or experience in the use of the procedure; and [49 CFR 192.285(a)(1)]#

(2)2. making a specimen joint from pipe sections joined according to the procedure that passes the inspection and test set forth in Subsection B of this Section. [49 CFR 192.285(a)(2)]#

(B)B. The specimen joint must be: [49 CFR 192.285(b)]#

(1)1. visually examined during and after assembly or joining and found to have the same appearance as a joint or photographs of a joint that is acceptable under the procedure; and [49 CFR 192.285(b)(1)]#

(2)2. in the case of a heat fusion, solvent cement, or adhesive joint: [49 CFR 192.285(b)(2)]#

(a)a. tested under any one of the test methods listed under §1513.A, and for PE heat fusion joints (except for electrofusion joints) visually inspected in accordance with ASTM F2620 (incorporated by reference, see §507) or a written procedure that has been demonstrated to provide an equivalent or superior level of safety, applicable to the type of joint and material being tested; [49 CFR 192.285(b)(2)(i)]#

(b)b. examined by ultrasonic inspection and found not to contain flaws that would cause failure; or [49 CFR 192.285(b)(2)(ii)]#

(c)c. cut into at least three longitudinal straps, each of which is: [49 CFR 192.285(b)(2)(iii)]#

(i)i. visually examined and found not to contain voids or discontinuities on the cut surfaces of the joint area; and [49 CFR 192.285(b)(2)(iii)(A)]#

(ii)ii. deformed by bending, torque, or impact, and if failure occurs, it must not initiate in the joint area. [49 CFR 192.285(b)(2)(iii)(B)]#

(C)C. A person must be re-qualified under an applicable procedure once each calendar year at intervals not exceeding 15 months or after any production joint is found unacceptable by testing under §2313. [49 CFR 192.285(c)]#

(D)D. Each operator shall establish a method to determine that each person making joints in plastic pipelines in the operator's system is qualified in accordance with this Section. [49 CFR 192.285(d)]#

(E)E. For transmission pipe installed after July 1, 2021, records demonstrating each person's plastic pipe joining qualifications at the time of construction in accordance with this Section must be retained for a minimum of five years following construction. [49 CFR 192.285(e)]#

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:501 et seq.#

HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, LR 9:231 (April 1983), amended LR 10:524 (July 1984), LR 30:1244 (June 2004), LR 33:480 (March 2007), LR 44:1039 (June 2018), LR 46:1586 (November 2020), LR 47:1144 (August 2021), repromulated LR 47:1332 (September 2021).#