§ 1915.508 Training. ( a ) The employer must train employees in the applicable requirements of this section: ( 1 ) Within 90 days of December 14, 2004, for employees currently working;
( 2 ) Upon initial assignment for new employees; and
( 3 ) When necessary to maintain proficiency for employees previously trained.
( b ) *Employee training.* The employer must ensure that all employees are trained on: ( 1 ) The emergency alarm signals, including system discharge alarms and employee evacuation alarms; and
( 2 ) The primary and secondary evacuation routes that employees must use in the event of a fire in the workplace. While all vessels and vessel sections must have a primary evacuation route, a secondary evacuation route is not required when impracticable.
( c ) *Additional training requirements for employees expected to fight incipient stage fires.* The employer must ensure that employees expected to fight incipient stage fires are trained on the following: ( 1 ) The general principles of using fire extinguishers or hose lines, the hazards involved with incipient firefighting, and the procedures used to reduce these hazards;
( 2 ) The hazards associated with fixed and portable fire protection systems that employees may use or to which they may be exposed during discharge of those systems; and
( 3 ) The activation and operation of fixed and portable fire protection systems that the employer expects employees to use in the workplace.
( d ) *Additional training requirements for shipyard employees designated for fire response.* The employer must: ( 1 ) Have a written training policy stating that fire response employees must be trained and capable of carrying out their duties and responsibilities at all times;
( 2 ) Keep written standard operating procedures that address anticipated emergency operations and update these procedures as necessary;
( 3 ) Review fire response employee training programs and hands-on sessions before they are used in fire response training to make sure that fire response employees are protected from hazards associated with fire response training;
( 4 ) Provide training for fire response employees that ensures they are capable of carrying out their duties and responsibilities under the employer's standard operating procedures;
( 5 ) Train new fire response employees before they engage in emergency operations;
( 6 ) At least quarterly, provide training on the written operating procedures to fire response employees who are expected to fight fires;
( 7 ) Use qualified instructors to conduct the training;
( 8 ) Conduct any training that involves live fire response exercises in accordance with NFPA 1403-2002 Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5);
( 9 ) Conduct semi-annual drills according to the employer's written procedures for fire response employees that cover site-specific operations, occupancies, buildings, vessels and vessel sections, and fire-related hazards; and
( 10 ) Prohibit the use of smoke generating devices that create a dangerous atmosphere in training exercises.
( e ) *Additional training requirements for fire watch duty.* ( 1 ) The employer must ensure that each fire watch is trained by an instructor with adequate fire watch knowledge and experience to cover the items as follows: ( i ) Before being assigned to fire watch duty;
( ii ) Whenever there is a change in operations that presents a new or different hazard;
( iii ) Whenever the employer has reason to believe that the fire watch's knowledge, skills, or understanding of the training previously provided is inadequate; and
( iv ) Annually.
( 2 ) The employer must ensure that each employee who stands fire watch duty is trained in: ( i ) The basics of fire behavior, the different classes of fire and of extinguishing agents, the stages of fire, and methods for extinguishing fires;
( ii ) Extinguishing live fire scenarios whenever allowed by local and federal law;
( iii ) The recognition of the adverse health effects that may be caused by exposure to fire;
( iv ) The physical characteristics of the hot work area;
( v ) The hazards associated with fire watch duties;
( vi ) The personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to perform fire watch duties safely;
( vii ) The use of PPE;
( viii ) The selection and use of any fire extinguishers and fire hoses likely to be used by a fire watch in the work area;
( ix ) The location and use of barriers;
( x ) The means of communication designated by the employer for fire watches;
( xi ) When and how to start fire alarm procedures; and
( xii ) The employer's evacuation plan.
( 3 ) The employer must ensure that each fire watch is trained to alert others to exit the space whenever: ( i ) The fire watch perceives an unsafe condition;
( ii ) The fire watch perceives that a worker performing hot work is in danger;
( iii ) The employer or a representative of the employer orders an evacuation; or
( iv ) An evacuation signal, such as an alarm, is activated.
( f ) *Records.* The employer must keep records that demonstrate that employees have been trained as required by paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section. ( 1 ) The employer must ensure that the records include the employee's name; the trainer's name; the type of training; and the date(s) on which the training took place.
( 2 ) The employer must keep each training record for one year from the time it was made or until it is replaced with a new training record, whichever is shorter, and make it available for inspection and copying by OSHA on request.