Fla. Stat. § 633.508 — Florida Code / Title XXXVII / Chapter 633 / Part V / Section 633.508
633.508 Workplace safety; rulemaking authority; division authority.
Status: in_force

(1) The division shall assist in making the firefighter employee place of employment a safer place to work and decreasing the frequency and severity of on-the-job injuries and the frequency of fatalities in such workplace.

(2) The division shall have the authority to adopt rules for the purpose of ensuring safe working conditions for all firefighter employees by authorizing the enforcement of effective standards, by assisting and encouraging firefighter employers to maintain safe working conditions, and by providing for education and training in the field of safety, including training related to cancer and mental health risks within the fire service. Specifically, the division may by rule adopt the most current edition of all or any part of subparts C through T and subpart Z of 29 C.F.R. s. 1910; the National Fire Protection Association, Inc., Publication 1403, Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions, as limited by subsection (6); and ANSI A 10.4.

(3) With respect to 29 C.F.R. s. 1910.134(g)(4), the two individuals located outside the immediately dangerous to life and health atmosphere may be assigned to an additional role, such as incident commander, pumper operator, engineer, or driver, so long as such individual can immediately perform assistance or rescue activities without jeopardizing the safety or health of any firefighter employee working at an incident.

(4) The provisions of chapter 440 that pertain to workplace safety apply to the division.

(5) The division may adopt any rule necessary to implement, interpret, and make specific the provisions of this section, provided the division may not adopt by rule any other standard or standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the National Fire Protection Association relating solely to this part and firefighter employment safety without specific legislative authority.

(6)(a) The division shall adopt rules for live fire training that all firefighter employees subject to this chapter must complete. The division shall also adopt rules for a training and certification process for live fire training instructors. (b) Such rules for training must include: 1. Sections of the most current edition of the National Fire Protection Association, Inc., Publication 1402, Guide to Building Fire Service Training Centers, relating to establishing policies and procedures for effective use of such permanent facilities or structures. 2. Sections of the most current edition of the National Fire Protection Association, Inc., Publication 1403, Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions, excluding, however: a. Any chapter entitled “Referenced Publications.” b. References to the National Fire Protection Association, Inc., Publication 1975, Station Uniform. c. Provisions of the National Fire Protection Association, Inc., Publication 1001, not adopted under rule 69A-37. d. Any reference to an authority having jurisdiction in the National Fire Protection Association, Inc., Publication 1403, defined as the organization, office, or individual responsible for approving equipment, materials, installations, and procedures. 3. A 40-hour training program for live fire training instructors, including: a. Live fire instructional techniques. b. Training safety in acquired or permanent facilities or props. c. Personnel safety. d. Exterior props, including, but not limited to, liquid petroleum gas, other liquid fuels, and similar props. (c) Each live fire training instructor is required to be a state certified fire safety instructor. All live fire training must be conducted by a certified live fire training instructor. (d) This subsection does not apply to wildland or prescribed live fire training exercises sanctioned by the Florida Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.

(7) The division shall adopt rules relating to all of the following: (a) Requiring firefighter employers to purchase firefighting gear that does not contain chemical hazards or toxic substances when such gear becomes readily available on the commercial market. For purposes of this paragraph, “readily available” means available from more than one manufacturer. Rules adopted pursuant to this paragraph may recommend a phased-in approach for firefighting gear replacement. (b) Requiring firefighter employers that issue firefighting gear that contains or is manufactured with chemical hazards or toxic substances to provide their firefighter employees notice that the firefighting gear issued may contain or be manufactured with chemical hazards or toxic substances. (c) Encouraging firefighter employers to implement work schedules that do not require a firefighter employee’s normally scheduled shifts to exceed 42 hours per workweek.

(8) The department shall: (a) Investigate and prescribe by rule what safety devices, safeguards, or other means of protection must be adopted for the prevention of accidents and injuries in every firefighter employee place of employment or at any fire scene; determine what suitable devices, safeguards, or other means of protection for the prevention of occupational diseases must be adopted or followed in any or all such firefighter places of employment or at any emergency fire scene; and adopt reasonable rules for the prevention of accidents, the safety, protection, and security of firefighter employees engaged in interior firefighting, and the prevention of occupational diseases and fatalities. (b) Ascertain, fix, and order such reasonable standards and rules for the construction, repair, and maintenance of firefighter employee places of employment so as to render them safe. Such rules and standards shall be adopted in accordance with chapter 120. (c) Adopt rules prescribing recordkeeping responsibilities for firefighter employers, which may include maintaining a log and summary of occupational injuries, diseases, and illnesses, for producing on request a notice of injury and firefighter employee accident investigation records, and prescribing a retention schedule for such records.

History: s. 15, ch. 2002-404; s. 4, ch. 2005-117; s. 76, ch. 2012-7; s. 79, ch. 2013-183; s. 35, ch. 2016-165; s. 2, ch. 2018-18; s. 2, ch. 2025-124.