[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1910.156]
[Page 495-498]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR
PART 1910_OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS--Table of Contents
Subpart L_Fire Protection
Sec. 1910.156 Fire brigades.
(a) Scope and application--(1) Scope. This section contains
requirements for the organization, training, and personal protective
equipment of fire brigades whenever they are established by an employer.
(2) Application. The requirements of this section apply to fire
brigades, industrial fire departments and private or contractual type
fire departments. Personal protective equipment requirements apply only
to members of fire brigades performing interior structural fire
fighting. The requirements of this section do not apply to airport crash
rescue or forest fire fighting operations.
(b) Organization--(1) Organizational statement. The employer shall
prepare and maintain a statement or written policy which establishes the
existence of a fire brigade; the basic organizational structure; the
type, amount, and frequency of training to be provided to fire brigade
members; the expected number of members in the fire brigade; and the
functions that the fire brigade is to perform at the workplace. The
organizational statement shall be available for inspection by the
Assistant Secretary and by employees or their designated
representatives.
(2) Personnel. The employer shall assure that employees who are
expected to do interior structural fire fighting are physically capable
of performing duties which may be assigned to them during emergencies.
The employer shall not permit employees with known heart disease,
epilepsy, or emphysema, to participate in fire brigade emergency
activities unless a physician's certificate of the employees' fitness to
participate in such activities is provided. For employees assigned to
fire brigades before September 15, 1980, this paragraph is effective on
September 15, 1990. For employees assigned to fire brigades on or after
September 15, 1980, this paragraph is effective December 15, 1980.
(c) Training and education. (1) The employer shall provide training
and education for all fire brigade members commensurate with those
duties and functions that fire brigade members are expected to perform.
Such training and education shall be provided to fire brigade members
before they perform fire brigade emergency activities. Fire brigade
leaders and training instructors shall be provided with training and
education which is more comprehensive than that provided to the general
membership of the fire brigade.
(2) The employer shall assure that training and education is
conducted frequently enough to assure that each member of the fire
brigade is able to perform the member's assigned duties and functions
satisfactorily and in a safe manner so as not to endanger fire brigade
members or other employees. All fire brigade members shall be provided
with training at least annually. In addition, fire brigade members who
are expected to perform interior structural fire fighting shall be
provided with an education session or training at least quarterly.
(3) The quality of the training and education program for fire
brigade members shall be similar to those conducted by such fire
training schools as the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute; Iowa Fire
Service Extension; West Virginia Fire Service Extension;
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Georgia Fire Academy, New York State Department, Fire Prevention and
Control; Louisiana State University Firemen Training Program, or
Washington State's Fire Service Training Commission for Vocational
Education. (For example, for the oil refinery industry, with its unique
hazards, the training and education program for those fire brigade
members shall be similar to those conducted by Texas A & M University,
Lamar University, Reno Fire School, or the Delaware State Fire School.)
(4) The employer shall inform fire brigade members about special
hazards such as storage and use of flammable liquids and gases, toxic
chemicals, radioactive sources, and water reactive substances, to which
they may be exposed during fire and other emergencies. The fire brigade
members shall also be advised of any changes that occur in relation to
the special hazards. The employer shall develop and make available for
inspection by fire brigade members, written procedures that describe the
actions to be taken in situations involving the special hazards and
shall include these in the training and education program.
(d) Fire fighting equipment. The employer shall maintain and
inspect, at least annually, fire fighting equipment to assure the safe
operational condition of the equipment. Portable fire extinguishers and
respirators shall be inspected at least monthly. Fire fighting equipment
that is in damaged or unserviceable condition shall be removed from
service and replaced.
(e) Protective clothing. The following requirements apply to those
employees who perform interior structural fire fighting. The
requirements do not apply to employees who use fire extinguishers or
standpipe systems to control or extinguish fires only in the incipient
stage.
(1) General. (i) The employer shall provide at no cost to the
employee and assure the use of protective clothing which complies with
the requirements of this paragraph. The employer shall assure that
protective clothing ordered or purchased after July 1, 1981, meets the
requirements contained in this paragraph. As the new equipment is
provided, the employer shall assure that all fire brigade members wear
the equipment when performing interior structural fire fighting. After
July 1, 1985, the employer shall assure that all fire brigade members
wear protective clothing meeting the requirements of this paragraph when
performing interior structural fire fighting.
(ii) The employer shall assure that protective clothing protects the
head, body, and extremities, and consists of at least the following
components: foot and leg protection; hand protection; body protection;
eye, face and head protection.
(2) Foot and leg protection. (i) Foot and leg protection shall meet
the requirements of paragraphs (e)(2)(ii) and (e)(2)(iii) of this
section, and may be achieved by either of the following methods:
(A) Fully extended boots which provide protection for the legs; or
(B) Protective shoes or boots worn in combination with protective
trousers that meet the requirements of paragraph (e)(3) of this section.
(ii) Protective footwear shall meet the requirements of Sec.
1910.136 for Class 75 footwear. In addition, protective footwear shall
be water-resistant for at least 5 inches (12.7 cm) above the bottom of
the heel and shall be equipped with slip-resistant outer soles.
(iii) Protective footwear shall be tested in accordance with
paragraph (1) of appendix E, and shall provide protection against
penetration of the midsole by a size 8D common nail when at least 300
pounds (1330 N) of static force is applied to the nail.
(3) Body protection. (i) Body protection shall be coordinated with
foot and leg protection to ensure full body protection for the wearer.
This shall be achieved by one of the following methods:
(A) Wearing of a fire-resistive coat meeting the requirements of
paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of this section in combination with fully extended
boots meeting the requirements of paragraphs (e)(2)(ii) and (e)(2)(iii)
of this section; or
(B) Wearing of a fire-resistive coat in combination with protective
trousers both of which meet the requirements of paragraph (e)(3)(ii) of
this section.
(ii) The performance, construction, and testing of fire-resistive
coats and
[[Page 497]]
protective trousers shall be at least equivalent to the requirements of
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard NFPA No. 1971-
1975, ``Protective Clothing for Structural Fire Fighting,'' which is
incorporated by reference as specified in Sec. 1910.6, (See appendix D
to subpart L) with the following permissible variations from those
requirements:
(A) Tearing strength of the outer shell shall be a minimum of 8
pounds (35.6 N) in any direction when tested in accordance with
paragraph (2) of appendix E; and
(B) The outer shell may discolor but shall not separate or melt when
placed in a forced air laboratory oven at a temperature of 500 [deg]F
(260 [deg]C) for a period of five minutes. After cooling to ambient
temperature and using the test method specified in paragraph (3) of
appendix E, char length shall not exceed 4.0 inches (10.2 cm) and after-
flame shall not exceed 2.0 seconds.
(4) Hand protection. (i) Hand protection shall consist of protective
gloves or glove system which will provide protection against cut,
puncture, and heat penetration. Gloves or glove system shall be tested
in accordance with the test methods contained in the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 1976 publication, ``The
Development of Criteria for Fire Fighter's Gloves; Vol. II, Part II:
Test Methods,'' which is incorporated by reference as specified in Sec.
1910.6, (See appendix D to subpart L) and shall meet the following
criteria for cut, puncture, and heat penetration:
(A) Materials used for gloves shall resist surface cut by a blade
with an edge having a 60[deg] included angle and a .001 inch (.0025 cm.)
radius, under an applied force of 16 lbf (72N), and at a slicing
velocity of greater or equal to 60 in/min (2.5 cm./sec);
(B) Materials used for the palm and palm side of the fingers shall
resist puncture by a penetrometer (simulating a 4d lath nail), under an
applied force of 13.2 lbf (60N), and at a velocity greater or equal to
20 in/min (.85 cm./sec); and
(C) The temperature inside the palm and gripping surface of the
fingers of gloves shall not exceed 135 [deg]F (57 [deg]C) when gloves or
glove system are exposed to 932 [deg]F (500 [deg]C) for five seconds at
4 psi (28 kPa) pressure.
(ii) Exterior materials of gloves shall be flame resistant and shall
be tested in accordance with paragraph (3) of appendix E. Maximum
allowable afterflame shall be 2.0 seconds, and the maximum char length
shall be 4.0 inches (10.2 cm).
(iii) When design of the fire-resistive coat does not otherwise
provide protection for the wrists, protective gloves shall have
wristlets of at least 4.0 inches (10.2 cm) in length to protect the
wrist area when the arms are extended upward and outward from the body.
(5) Head, eye and face protection. (i) Head protection shall consist
of a protective head device with ear flaps and chin strap which meet the
performance, construction, and testing requirements of the National Fire
Safety and Research Office of the National Fire Prevention and Control
Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce (now known as the U.S. Fire
Administration), which are contained in ``Model Performance Criteria for
Structural Firefighters' Helmets'' (August 1977) which is incorporated
by reference as specified in Sec. 1910.6, (See appendix D to subpart
L).
(ii) Protective eye and face devices which comply with Sec.
1910.133 shall be used by fire brigade members when performing
operations where the hazards of flying or falling materials which may
cause eye and face injuries are present. Protective eye and face devices
provided as accessories to protective head devices (face shields) are
permitted when such devices meet the requirements of Sec. 1910.133.
(iii) Full facepieces, helmets, or hoods of breathing apparatus
which meet the requirements of Sec. 1910.134 and paragraph (f) of this
section, shall be acceptable as meeting the eye and face protection
requirements of paragraph (e)(5)(ii) of this section.
(f) Respiratory protection devices--(1) General requirements. (i)
The employer must ensure that respirators are provided to, and used by,
fire brigade members, and that the respirators meet the requirements of
29 CFR 1910.134 and this paragraph.
[[Page 498]]
(ii) Approved self-contained breathing apparatus with full-
facepiece, or with approved helmet or hood configuration, shall be
provided to and worn by fire brigade members while working inside
buildings or confined spaces where toxic products of combustion or an
oxygen deficiency may be present.
Such apparatus shall also be worn during emergency situations involving
toxic substances.
(iii) Approved self-contained breathing apparatus may be equipped
with either a ``buddy-breathing'' device or a quick disconnect valve,
even if these devices are not certified by NIOSH. If these accessories
are used, they shall not cause damage to the apparatus, or restrict the
air flow of the apparatus, or obstruct the normal operation of the
apparatus.
(iv) Approved self-contained compressed air breathing apparatus may
be used with approved cylinders from other approved self-contained
compressed air breathing apparatus provided that such cylinders are of
the same capacity and pressure rating. All compressed air cylinders used
with self-contained breathing apparatus shall meet DOT and NIOSH
criteria.
(v) Self-contained breathing apparatuses must have a minimum
service-life rating of 30 minutes in accordance with the methods and
requirements specified by NIOSH under 42 CFR part 84, except for escape
self-contained breathing apparatus (ESCBAs) used only for emergency
escape purposes.
(vi) Self-contained breathing apparatus shall be provided with an
indicator which automatically sounds an audible alarm when the remaining
service life of the apparatus is reduced to within a range of 20 to 25
percent of its rated service time.
(2) Positive-pressure breathing apparatus. (i) The employer shall
assure that self-contained breathing apparatus ordered or purchased
after July 1, 1981, for use by fire brigade members performing interior
structural fire fighting operations, are of the pressure-demand or other
positive-pressure type. Effective July 1, 1983, only pressure-demand or
other positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus shall be worn
by fire brigade members performing interior structural fire fighting.
(ii) This paragraph does not prohibit the use of a self-contained
breathing apparatus where the apparatus can be switched from a demand to
a positive-pressure mode. However, such apparatus shall be in the
positive-pressure mode when fire brigade members are performing interior
structural fire fighting operations.
[45 FR 60706, Sept. 12, 1980; 46 FR 24557, May 1, 1981; 49 FR 18295,
Apr. 30, 1984; 61 FR 9239, Mar. 7, 1996; 63 FR 1284, Jan. 8, 1998; 63 FR
33467, June 18, 1998]
Portable Fire Suppression Equipment
