Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-305 - Safety standards for firefighters › Section 296-305-08000 - Appendices

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
These appendices are nonmandatory and are included for
				reference and information purposes only.
Appendix B-Nonmandatory: Life safety ropes.
(1) Life safety rope may be significantly
			 weakened by abrasion, misuse, contamination, wear, and stresses approaching its
			 breaking strength, particularly impact loading. Since there are no approved
			 methods to service test a rope without compromising its strength, rope rescue
			 and training operations should be carefully observed and monitored for
			 conditions that could cause immediate failure or result in undetectable damage
			 to the rope.
(2) If a rope has been
			 used in a situation that could not be supervised or where potential damage may
			 have occurred, it must be removed from service and destroyed.
(3) It is important that ropes be inspected
			 for signs of wear by qualified individuals after each use. If indication of
			 wear or damage are noted, or if the rope has been stressed in excess of the
			 manufacturer's recommendation or impact loaded, it must be destroyed.
(4) The destruction of the rope means that it
			 must be removed from service and altered in such a manner that it could not be
			 mistakenly used as a life safety rope. This alteration could include disposing
			 of the rope, or removal of identifying labels and attachments, and cutting the
			 rope into short lengths that could be used for utility purposes.
(5) The assignment of "disposable" life
			 safety ropes to members or to vehicles has proved to be an effective system to
			 manage ropes that are provided for emergency use and are used infrequently.
			 Special rescue teams, which train frequently and use large quantities of rope,
			 should include members who are qualified to manage and evaluate the condition
			 of their ropes and determine the limitations upon their reuse.
Appendix C-Nonmandatory: Decontamination.
(1) A decontamination area should be
			 established whenever civilians or fire department personnel have had known or
			 suspected exposure to toxic chemicals.
(2) Such decontamination areas should be
			 established before any personnel are allowed to enter the "Hot" zone.
(3) The decontamination area should be set up
			 using the following guidelines:
(a) The
			 decontamination area should be located uphill, upwind and at a right angle to
			 the "Hot" zone.
(b) The
			 decontamination area entry/exit point and boundaries should be clearly marked
			 using flagging tape, ropes, cones, etc.
(4) 4 to 6 mil poly sheeting should be spread
			 on the ground in the decontamination area to control runoff.
(5) The decontamination process is divided
			 into stations. In most cases it will not be necessary to utilize all the
			 stations. The decision to use all or part of the stations should be based on
			 the following factors:
(a) The hazards
			 associated with the product involved.
(b) The estimated levels of
			 contamination.
(c) The type of
			 protective equipment worn by contaminated responders.
(d) Recommendations from outside sources such
			 as, but not limited to CHEMTREC, the agency for toxic substance and disease
			 registry, poison control centers or the manufacturer of the
			 product.