The following words and phrases when used in this act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

“Accident.” A failure of a boiler or unfired pressure vessel resulting in personal injury or property loss.

“ASME.” The American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

“Authorized private inspection agency.” An entity which employs one or more commissioned private inspectors possessing valid current commissions.

“Board.” The Industrial Board of the Commonwealth.

“Boiler.” Any closed vessel in which water is heated, steam is generated, steam is superheated or any combination thereof under pressure or vacuum for use external to itself by the direct application of heat from the combustion of fuels or from electricity. The term shall include fired vessels for heating or vaporizing liquids other than water where these vessels are separate from processing systems and are complete within themselves. The term does not include kitchen-type appliances or sterilizers used in medical applications when the device is designed not to exceed 5 psi internal pressure whether by use of a relief valve or other design.

“Commissioned private inspector.” A person not employed by the Department of Labor and Industry nor by an insurance company or owner of one or more boilers or unfired pressure vessels who has satisfied the requirements for obtaining and maintaining a commission to perform inspections of boilers and unfired pressure vessels in this Commonwealth, under this act and the regulations promulgated by the department.

“Department.” The Department of Labor and Industry of the Commonwealth.

“Farms.” Any properties or structures used primarily for production and/or raising of agriculture.

“Field inspection.” An internal/external inspection as defined by the National Board Inspection Code (ANSI/NB-23).

“Heat exchanger.” A device used for the purpose of transferring heat or cold from one medium to another and having passages for each of the two streams of medium separated by a heat-exchange surface frequently in the form of plates or tubes.

“Heating boiler.” A closed vessel in which water is heated or steam is generated by the direct application of heat from the combustion of fuels or from electricity for the purpose of providing heat to any part of a building. The heat may be distributed in the form of radiators, baseboard units, in-floor convection coils or air heating coils for hot air heat. The term includes cast iron boilers, fire tube boilers, water tube boilers, fired heat exchangers and instantaneous hot water heaters or any type of heater, boiler or heat exchanger.

“Inspector.” A person commissioned by the Department of Labor and Industry to field-inspect boilers or unfired pressure vessels in this Commonwealth. The term includes a commissioned private inspector.

“Instantaneous heating boiler.” A vessel known as an instantaneous, tankless, continuous flow, in-line, flash, on-demand or instant-on water heater designed and built to provide, but not to store, hot water used in hot water heating systems, similar to an instantaneous water heater, but constructed to meet the requirements of a heating boiler.

“Instantaneous water heater.” A vessel known as an instantaneous, tankless, continuous flow, in-line, flash, on-demand or instant-on water heater designed and built to provide, but not to store, hot water and which is limited to hot water supply.

“Modular boiler.” An assembly of individual steam or hot water heating boilers consisting of a group of individual boilers called modules, intended to be installed as a unit, with no intervening stop valves between the modules, with a single inlet and a single outlet. Modules may be under one jacket or may be individually jacketed. The term does not include assemblies of fired heat exchangers constructed and stamped as a part, assembled under one jacket and connected with no intervening stop valves.

“National Board.” The National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors.

“Person.” Any individual, firm, partnership, unincorporated association, corporation or municipality. The term shall include the Commonwealth.

“Portable boiler.” A boiler mounted on or in a truck, trailer or skid that is used as a temporary installation. The term includes portable boilers that heat any medium used in a process.

“Power boiler.” A boiler in which steam or other vapor is generated at a pressure of more than 15 psi.

“Process boiler.” Any vessel in which steam is generated or superheated under pressure or vacuum for use external to itself by direct or indirect application of heat. The source of heat must be in part or whole from a process other than the boiler itself. In order to be classified as a process boiler, the boiler must be directly tied to another process other than the generation of steam.

“Storage water heater.” A vessel in which water is heated by the direct application of heat from the combustion of fuels or from electricity for the purpose of providing and storing hot water, which operates at a maximum pressure of 160 psi and a maximum temperature of 210°F and is limited to hot water supply.

“Unfired pressure vessel.” Any vessel in which pressure is obtained from an external source or from an indirect application of heat.