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.    STEP/SAVE

       (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. 
	 STEP/SAVE

  (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.    STEP/SAVE

       (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; 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.    STEP/SAVE

  (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. 
 STEP/SAVE

  (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.    STEP/SAVE

	    (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 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 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," (See Appendix D to Subpart L) with the following
	  permissible variations from those requirements:   STD 1-9.3

		 (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," (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) (See Appendix D
	  to Subpart L). 

	    (ii) Protective eye and face devices which comply with 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 1910.133. 

	    (iii) Full facepieces, helmets, or hoods of breathing apparatus
	  which meet the requirements of 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 shall provide at no cost to the employee and
	  assure the use of respirators which comply with the requirements of
	  this paragraph. The employer shall assure that respiratory
	  protective devices worn by fire brigade members meet the
	  requirements contained in 1910.134 and the requirements contained in
	  this paragraph, and are certified under 30 CFR Part 11. 

	    (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 apparatus shall have a minimum
	  service life rating of 30 minutes in accordance with the methods and
	  requirements of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and
	  NIOSH, except for escape self-contained breathing apparatus (ESCBA)
	  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. 

	    (iii) Negative-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus with a
	  rated service life of more than 2 hours and which have a minimum
	  protection factor of 5,000, as determined by an acceptable
	  quantitative fit test performed on each individual, is acceptable
	  for use only during those interior structural fire fighting
	  situations for which the employer demonstrates that long duration
	  breathing apparatus is necessary. Quantitative fit test procedures
	  shall be available for inspection by the Assistant Secretary or
	  authorized representative. Such negative-pressure breathing
	  apparatus will continue to be acceptable for 18 months after a
	  positive-pressure breathing apparatus with the same or longer rated
	  service life is certified by NIOSH. After this 18-month period, all
	  self-contained breathing apparatus used for these long duration
	  situations shall be of the positive-pressure type. 
 (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number
1218-0075) 

 [45 FR 60706, Sept. 12, 1980; 46 FR 24557, May 1, 1981; 49 FR 18295, Apr. 30,
1984] 
