Source: http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/2005/19/05-19-086.htm
Timestamp: 2019-05-27 05:55:00
Document Index: 84283744

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 78', '§ 296', '§ 296', '§ 296', '§ 296', '§ 296', '§ 296', 'art 84', 'art 84']

WSR 05-19-086
[ Filed September 20, 2005, 9:41 a.m. , effective December 1, 2005 ]
Purpose: Safety standards for ship repairing, shipbuilding, and shipbreaking, chapter 296-304 WAC, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) amended its rules related to shipyards which lines out requirements for fire protection. WISHA rules were also amended so that our rules remain at-least-as[-effective-as] the OSHA rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 296-304-04003; amending WAC 296-304-01001 and 296-304-01005.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 05-13-153 on June 21, 2005.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 8, Amended 2, Repealed 1; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 8, Amended 2, Repealed 1.
OTS-8041.1
WAC 296-304-04003 Fire prevention.
OTS-8042.2
WAC 296-304-01001 Definitions. "Alarm" - A signal or message from a person or device that indicates that there is a fire, medical emergency, or other situation that requires emergency response or evacuation. At some shipyards, this may be called an "incident" or a "call for service."
(("Cold-work")) "Cold work" - Work that does not involve riveting, welding, burning, or other fire-producing or spark-producing operations.
"Contract employer" - An employer, such as a painter, joiner, carpenter, or scaffolding subcontractor, who performs work under contract to the host employer or to another employer under contract to the host employer at the host employer's worksite. This excludes employers who provide incidental services that do not influence shipyard employment (such as mail delivery or office supply services).
"Fire response employee" - A shipyard employee who carries out the duties and responsibilities of shipyard fire fighting in accordance with the fire safety plan.
"Fire response organization" - An organized group knowledgeable, trained, and skilled in shipyard fire fighting operations that responds to shipyard fire emergencies, including: Fire brigades, shipyard fire departments, private or contractual fire departments, and municipal fire departments.
(("Hot-work")) "Hot work" - Riveting, welding, burning or other fire or spark producing operations.
"Interior structural fire fighting operations" - The physical activity of fire response, rescue, or both involving a fire beyond the incipient stage inside of buildings, enclosed structures, vessels, and vessel sections.
"Portable unfired pressure vessel" - A pressure container or vessel used aboard ship, other than the ship's equipment, containing liquids or gases under pressure. This does not include pressure vessels built to Department of Transportation regulations under 49 CFR Part 78, Subparts C and H.
"Proximity fire fighting" - Specialized fire fighting operations that require specialized thermal protection and may include the activities of rescue, fire suppression, and property conservation at incidents involving fires producing very high levels of conductive, convective, and radiant heat such as aircraft fires, bulk flammable gas fires, and bulk flammable liquid fires. Proximity fire fighting operations usually are exterior operations but may be combined with structural fire fighting operations. Proximity fire fighting is not entry fire fighting.
"Shipyard fire fighting" - The activity of rescue, fire suppression, and property conservation involving buildings, enclosed structures, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, or similar properties involved in a fire or emergency situation.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. 03-04-099, § 296-304-01001, filed 2/4/03, effective 8/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040, [49.17].050 and [49.17].060. 98-02-006, § 296-304-01001, filed 12/26/97, effective 3/1/98. Statutory Authority: Chapter 49.17 RCW. 95-04-006, § 296-304-01001, filed 1/18/95, effective 3/10/95; Order 76-7, § 296-304-01001, filed 3/1/76; Order 74-25, § 296-304-01001, filed 5/7/74.]
WAC 296-304-01005 ((Competent person.)) Fire protection in shipyards. (((1) Application. This section applies to shipyard employment.
(a) One or more competent persons shall be designated by the employer in accordance with the applicable requirements of this section, unless the requirements of WAC 296-304-020 through 296-304-02011, WAC 296-304-030 through 296-304-03009, WAC 296-304-040 through 296-304-04013, and WAC 296-304-080 through 296-304-08011, are always carried out by a marine chemist.
Exception: The employer may designate any person who meets the applicable portions of the criteria set forth in subsection (3) of this section as a competent person who is limited to performing testing to the following situations:
(i) Repair work on small craft in boat yards where only combustible gas indicator tests are required for fuel tank leaks or when using flammable paints below decks;
(ii) Building of wooden vessels where only knowledge of the precautions to be taken when using flammable paints is required;
(iii) The breaking of vessels where there is no fuel oil or other flammable hazard; and
(iv) Tests and inspections performed to comply with WAC 296-304-03007 (2)(h) and 296-304-03009 (1)(e).
(b) The employer shall maintain either a roster of designated competent persons or a statement that a marine chemist will perform the tests or inspections which require a competent person.
(c) The employer shall make the roster of designated persons or the statement available to employees, the employee's representative, or the director upon request.
(d) The roster shall contain, as a minimum, the following:
(3) Criteria. The employer shall ensure that each designated competent person has the following skills and knowledge:
(a) Ability to understand and carry out written or oral information or instructions left by marine chemist, Coast Guard authorized persons and certified industrial hygienists;
(d) Ability to calibrate and use testing equipment including but not limited to, oxygen indicators, combustible gas indicators, carbon monoxide indicators, and carbon dioxide indicators, and to interpret accurately the test results of that equipment;
(a) When tests and inspections are performed by a competent person, marine chemist, or certified industrial hygienist as required by any provisions of WAC 296-304-020 through 296-304-02011, WAC 296-304-030 through 296-304-03009, WAC 296-304-040 through 296-304-04013, or WAC 296-304-080 through 296-304-08011, the employer shall ensure that the person performing the test and inspection records the location, time, date, location of inspected spaces, and the operations performed, as well as the test results and any instructions.
(b) The employer shall ensure that the records are posted in the immediate vicinity of the affected operations while work in the spaces is in progress. The records shall be kept on file for a period of at least three months from the completion date of the specific job for which they were generated.
(c) The employer shall ensure that the records are available for inspection by the director, and employees and their representatives.)) (1) Purpose. The purpose of this section is to require employers to protect all employees from fire hazards in shipyard employment, including employees engaged in fire response activities.
(3) Employee participation. The employer must provide ways for employees or employee representatives, or both to participate in developing and periodically reviewing programs and policies adopted to comply with this section.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 49.17 RCW. 95-04-006, § 296-304-01005, filed 1/18/95, effective 3/10/95.]
WAC 296-304-01007 Fire safety plan. (1) Employer responsibilities. The employer must develop and implement a written fire safety plan that covers all the actions that employers and employees must take to ensure employee safety in the event of a fire. (See Appendix A to this section for a model fire safety plan.)
(2) Plan elements. The employer must include the following information in the fire safety plan:
(a) Identification of the significant fire hazards;
(b) Procedures for recognizing and reporting unsafe conditions;
(c) Alarm procedures;
(d) Procedures for notifying employees of a fire emergency;
(e) Procedures for notifying fire response organizations of a fire emergency;
(f) Procedures for evacuation;
(g) Procedures to account for all employees after an evacuation; and
(h) Names, job titles, or departments for individuals who can be contacted for further information about the plan.
(3) Reviewing the plan with employees. The employer must review the plan with each employee at the following times:
(a) By March 1, 2006, for employees who are currently working;
(c) When the actions the employee must take under the plan change because of a change in duties or a change in the plan.
(4) Additional employer requirements. The employer also must:
(a) Keep the plan accessible to employees, employee representatives, and WISHA;
(b) Review and update the plan whenever necessary, but at least annually;
(c) Document that affected employees have been informed about the plan as required by this subsection; and
(d) Ensure any outside fire response organization that the employer expects to respond to fires at the employer's worksite has been given a copy of the current plan.
(5) Contract employers. Contract employers in shipyard employment must have a fire safety plan for their employees, and this plan must comply with the host employer's fire safety plan.
(a) Maintaining fire hazard-free conditions. The employer must keep all hot work areas free of new hazards that may cause or contribute to the spread of fire. Unexpected energizing and energy release are covered by WAC 296-304-120. Exposure to toxic and hazardous substances is covered in chapter 296-841 WAC, Respiratory hazards; chapter 296-802 WAC, Employee medical and exposure records; and WAC 296-800-170, Employer chemical hazard communication -- Introduction.
WAC 296-304-01011 Fire watches. (1) Written fire watch policy. The employer must create and keep current a written policy that specifies the following requirements for employees performing fire watch in the workplace:
(2) Posting fire watches. The employer must post a fire watch if during hot work any of the following conditions are present:
(a) The employer must not assign other duties to a fire watch while the hot work is in progress.
(b) Employers must ensure that employees assigned to fire watch duty:
(c) The employer must ensure that employees assigned to fire watch are physically capable of performing these duties.
WAC 296-304-01013 Fire response. (1) Employer responsibilities. The employer must:
(a) Decide what type of response will be provided and who will provide it; and
(b) Create, maintain, and update a written policy that:
(i) Describes the internal and outside fire response organizations that the employer will use; and
(ii) Defines what evacuation procedures employees must follow, if the employer chooses to require a total or partial evacuation of the worksite at the time of a fire.
(2) Required written policy information.
(a) Internal fire response. If an internal fire response is to be used, the employer must include the following information in the employer's written policy:
(i) The basic structure of the fire response organization;
(ii) The number of trained fire response employees;
(iii) The fire response functions that may need to be carried out;
(iv) The minimum number of fire response employees necessary, the number and types of apparatuses, and a description of the fire suppression operations established by written standard operating procedures for each type of fire response at the employer's facility;
(v) The type, amount, and frequency of training that must be given to fire response employees; and
(vi) The procedures for using protective clothing and equipment.
(b) Outside fire response. If an outside fire response organization is used, the employer must include the following information in the written policy:
(i) The types of fire suppression incidents to which the fire response organization is expected to respond at the employer's facility or worksite;
(ii) The liaisons between the employer and the outside fire response organizations; and
(iii) A plan for fire response functions that:
(A) Addresses procedures for obtaining assistance from the outside fire response organization;
(B) Familiarizes the outside fire response organization with the layout of the employer's facility or worksite, including access routes to controlled areas, and site-specific operations, occupancies, vessels or vessel sections, and hazards; and
(C) Sets forth how hose and coupling connection threads are to be made compatible and includes where the adapter couplings are kept; or
(D) States that the employer will not allow the use of incompatible hose connections.
(c) A combination of internal and outside fire response. If a combination of internal and outside fire response is to be used, the employer must include the following information, in addition to the requirements in (a) and (b) of this subsection, in the written policy:
(i) The basic organizational structure of the combined fire response;
(ii) The number of combined trained fire responders;
(iv) The minimum number of fire response employees necessary, the number and types of apparatuses, and a description of the fire suppression operations established by written standard operating procedures for each particular type of fire response at the worksite; and
(v) The type, amount, and frequency of joint training with outside fire response organizations if given to fire response employees.
(d) Employee evacuation. The employer must include the following information in the employer's written policy:
(i) Emergency escape procedures;
(ii) Procedures to be followed by employees who may remain longer at the worksite to perform critical shipyard employment operations during the evacuation;
(iii) Procedures to account for all employees after emergency evacuation is completed;
(iv) The preferred means of reporting fires and other emergencies; and
(v) Names or job titles of the employees or departments to be contacted for further information or explanation of duties.
(e) Rescue and emergency response. The employer must include the following information in the employer's written policy:
(i) A description of the emergency rescue procedures; and
(ii) Names or job titles of the employees who are assigned to perform them.
(3) Medical requirements for shipyard fire response employees. The employer must ensure that:
(a) All fire response employees receive medical examinations to assure that they are physically and medically fit for the duties they are expected to perform;
(b) Fire response employees, who are required to wear respirators in performing their duties, meet the medical requirements of WAC 296-304-09007;
(c) Each fire response employee has an annual medical examination; and
(d) The medical records of fire response employees are kept in accordance with chapter 296-802 WAC, Employee medical and exposure records.
(4) Organization of internal fire response functions. The employer must:
(a) Organize fire response functions to ensure enough resources to conduct emergency operations safely;
(b) Establish lines of authority and assign responsibilities to ensure that the components of the internal fire response are accomplished;
(c) Set up an incident management system to coordinate and direct fire response functions, including:
(i) Specific fire emergency responsibilities;
(ii) Accountability for all fire response employees participating in an emergency operation; and
(iii) Resources offered by outside organizations; and
(d) Provide the information required in this subsection to the outside fire response organization to be used.
(5) Personal protective clothing and equipment for fire response employees.
(i) Supply to all fire response employees, at no cost, the appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment they may need to perform expected duties; and
(ii) Ensure that fire response employees wear the appropriate personal protective clothing and use the equipment, when necessary, to protect them from hazardous exposures.
(b) Thermal stability and flame resistance. The employer must:
(i) Ensure that each fire response employee exposed to the hazards of flame does not wear clothing that could increase the extent of injury that could be sustained; and
(ii) Prohibit wearing clothing made from acetate, nylon, or polyester, either alone or in blends, unless it can be shown that:
(A) The fabric will withstand the flammability hazard that may be encountered; or
(B) The clothing will be worn in such a way to eliminate the flammability hazard that may be encountered.
(c) Respiratory protection. The employer must:
(i) Provide self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to all fire response employees involved in an emergency operation in an atmosphere that is immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH), potentially IDLH, or unknown;
(ii) Provide SCBA to fire response employees performing emergency operations during hazardous chemical emergencies that will expose them to known hazardous chemicals in vapor form or to unknown chemicals;
(iii) Provide fire response employees who perform or support emergency operations that will expose them to hazardous chemicals in liquid form either:
(A) SCBA; or
(B) Respiratory protective devices certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under 42 CFR Part 84 as suitable for the specific chemical environment;
(iv) Ensure that additional outside air supplies used in conjunction with SCBA result in positive pressure systems that are certified by NIOSH under 42 CFR Part 84;
(v) Provide only SCBA that meet the requirements of NFPA 1981-1997 Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus for the Fire Service (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003); and
(vi) Ensure that the respiratory protection program and all respiratory protection equipment comply with chapter 296-842 WAC, Respiratory protection.
(d) Interior structural firefighting operations. The employer must:
(i) Supply at no cost to all fire response employees exposed to the hazards of shipyard fire response, a helmet, gloves, footwear, and protective hoods, and either a protective coat and trousers or a protective coverall; and
(ii) Ensure that this equipment meets the applicable recommendations in NFPA 1971-2000 Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Fire Fighting (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003).
(e) Proximity fire fighting operations. The employer must provide, at no cost, to all fire response employees who are exposed to the hazards of proximity fire fighting, appropriate protective proximity clothing that meets the applicable recommendations in NFPA 1976-2000 Standard on Protective Ensemble for Proximity Fire Fighting (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003).
(f) Personal alert safety system (PASS) devices. The employer must:
(i) Provide each fire response employee involved in fire fighting operations with a PASS device; and
(ii) Ensure that each PASS device meets the recommendations in NFPA 1982-1998 Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS) (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003).
(g) Life safety ropes, body harnesses, and hardware. The employer must ensure that:
(i) All life safety ropes, body harnesses, and hardware used by fire response employees for emergency operations meet the applicable recommendations in NFPA 1983-2001, Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope and System Components (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003);
(ii) Fire response employees use only Class I body harnesses to attach to ladders and aerial devices; and
(iii) Fire response employees use only Class II and Class III body harnesses for fall arrest and rappelling operations.
(6) Equipment maintenance.
(a) Personal protective equipment. The employer must inspect and maintain personal protective equipment used to protect fire response employees to ensure that it provides the intended protection.
(b) Fire response equipment. The employer must:
(i) Keep fire response equipment in a state of readiness;
(ii) Standardize all fire hose coupling and connection threads throughout the facility and on vessels and vessel sections by providing the same type of hose coupling and connection threads for hoses of the same or similar diameter; and
(iii) Ensure that either all fire hoses and coupling connection threads are the same within a facility or vessel or vessel section as those used by the outside fire response organization, or supply suitable adapter couplings if such an organization is expected to use the fire response equipment within a facility or vessel or vessel section.
WAC 296-304-01015 Hazards of fixed extinguishing systems on board vessels and vessel sections. (1) Employer responsibilities. The employer must comply with the provisions of this section whenever employees are exposed to fixed extinguishing systems that could create a dangerous atmosphere when activated in vessels and vessel sections, regardless of geographic location.
(2) Requirements for automatic and manual systems. Before any work is done in a space equipped with fixed extinguishing systems, the employer must either:
(3) Sea and dock trials. During trials, the employer must ensure that all systems shall remain operational.
(4) Doors and hatches. The employer must:
(a) When testing a fixed extinguishing system involves a total discharge of extinguishing medium into a space, the employer must evacuate all employees from the space and assure that no employees remain in the space during the discharge. The employer must retest the atmosphere in accordance with WAC 296-304-02003 to ensure that the oxygen levels are safe for employees to enter.
(b) When testing a fixed extinguishing system does not involve a total discharge of the system's extinguishing medium, the employer must make sure that the system's extinguishing medium is physically isolated and that all employees not directly involved in the testing are evacuated from the protected space.
(6) Conducting system maintenance. Before conducting maintenance on a fixed extinguishing system, the employer must ensure that the system is physically isolated.
(7) Using fixed manual extinguishing systems for fire protection. If fixed manual extinguishing systems are used to provide fire protection for spaces in which the employees are working, the employer must ensure that:
WAC 296-304-01017 Land-side fire protection systems. (1) Employer responsibilities. The employer must ensure all fixed and portable fire protection systems needed to meet WISHA standards for employee safety or employee protection from fire hazards in land-side facilities, including, but not limited to, buildings, structures, and equipment, meet the requirements of this section.
(a) The employer must select, install, inspect, maintain, and test all portable fire extinguishers according to NFPA 10-1998 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003).
(b) The employer is permitted to use Class II or Class III hose systems, in accordance with NFPA 10-1998, as portable fire extinguishers if the employer selects, installs, inspects, maintains, and tests those systems according to the specific recommendations in NFPA 14-2000 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe, Private Hydrant, and Hose Systems (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003).
(3) General requirements for fixed extinguishing systems. The employer must:
(f) Select, install, inspect, maintain, and test all automatic fire detection systems and emergency alarms according to NFPA 72-1999 National Fire Alarm Code (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003).
(4) Fixed extinguishing systems. The employer must select, install, maintain, inspect, and test all fixed systems required by WISHA as follows:
(a) Standpipe and hose systems according to NFPA 14-2000 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe, Private Hydrant, and Hose Systems (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003);
(b) Automatic sprinkler systems according to NFPA 25-2002 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-based Fire Protection Systems, and either NFPA 13-1999 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems or NFPA 750-2000 Standard on Water Mist Fire Protection Systems (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003);
(c) Fixed extinguishing systems that use water or foam as the extinguishing agent according to NFPA 15-2001 Standard for Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection; NFPA 11-1998 Standard for Low-Expansion Foam; and NFPA 11A-1999 Standard for Medium- and High-Expansion Foam Systems (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003);
(e) Fixed extinguishing systems using gas as the extinguishing agent according to NFPA 12-2000 Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems; NFPA 12A-1997 Standard on Halon 1301 Fire Extinguishing Systems; and NFPA 2001-2000 Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003).
WAC 296-304-01019 Training. (1) The employer must train employees in the applicable requirements of this section:
(2) Employee training. The employer must ensure that all employees are trained on:
(3) 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:
(a) The general principles of using fire extinguishers or hose lines, the hazards involved with incipient fire fighting, and the procedures used to reduce these hazards;
(4) Additional training requirements for shipyard employees designated for fire response. The employer must:
(d) 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;
(i) Conduct semiannual 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
(a) 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:
(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
(b) The employer must ensure that each employee who stands fire watch duty is trained in:
(x) The means of communication designated by the employer for fire watches;
(xii) The employer's evacuation plan.
(c) The employer must ensure that each fire watch is trained to alert others to exit the space whenever:
(iii) The employer or a representative of the employer orders an evacuation; or
(6) Records. The employer must keep records that demonstrate that employees have been trained as required by subsections (1) through (5) of this section.
(a) 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.
(b) 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 WISHA on request.
WAC 296-304-01021 Competent person. (1) Application. This section applies to shipyard employment.
(c) The employer shall ensure that the records are available for inspection by the director, and employees and their representatives.