Fire brigades

Fire protection equipment along with local fire departments may not always be enough to protect workers and property from the ravages of fire. That is why some employers choose to organize an in-house fire brigade. When forming an in-house brigade or when an employee becomes a new member, training is key to the safety and effectiveness of the group.

OSHA regulates several aspects of fire prevention and response. Emergency planning, fire prevention plans, and evacuation that would need to be done in the event of a serious fire are addressed in Subpart E (29 CFR 1910.38) of the general industry standards. Fire extinguishers and other protective devices are covered in Subpart L (29 CFR 1910.157).

Note: The following items should not be considered to be all of the necessary elements of a comprehensive program for fire brigades, but the information may be helpful as a guide in developing a program. All fire brigade members should be familiar with at least this information.

Pre-fire planning. Once it has been decided that your company will organize and maintain a fire brigade, the local fire department should be contacted and a pre-fire planning session requested. This meeting will be conducted by the fire department and/or the workplace fire brigade to allow all parties involved to become familiar with the workplace and process hazards.

Involvement with the local fire department or fire prevention bureau is a good way to facilitate coordination and cooperation between members of your fire brigade and those who might be called on for assistance during a fire emergency.

The degree of potential exposure to hazards posed by a fire and the degree of training will determine the limits of your brigade’s actions and responsibilities. Evaluate your workplace for site-specific hazardous conditions to determine the brigade members’ responsibilities. The organizational statement should define those limits.

Organizational statement. Your company must prepare and maintain a written policy or statement that establishes the existence of the fire brigade. This statement must include the following:

• The basic organizational structure;
• The type, amount, and frequency of training provided to the brigade members;
• The number of members; and
• The functions that the fire brigade is to perform at the workplace.

Additional information may include the following:

• A description of the duties that the members are expected to perform;
• The line of authority of each fire brigade officer;
• The number of officers and number of training instructors; and
• A list and description of the types of awards or recognition that brigade members may be eligible to receive.

Physical capability. Your company must be sure that fire brigade members who are expected to do interior structural fire fighting are physically capable of performing the duties they are assigned.

Potential brigade members must be examined and certified by a physician as being medically and physically fit to perform their assigned duties. Fire brigade members must have an annual physical evaluation to ensure they are physically capable of meeting their responsibilities, according to NFPA 600, Standard on Industrial Fire Brigades, Section 2-5.2 (1996 edition).

Brigade members who have known heart disease, epilepsy, or emphysema should not participate in fire brigade emergency activities without a physician’s certification of fitness to perform these tasks.

Employees who cannot meet the physical capability requirement may still be members of the brigade as long as they do not perform interior structural fire fighting. These individuals can be assigned less stressful and physically demanding duties such as certain types of:

• Training
• Recordkeeping
• Fire prevention inspection and maintenance
• Fire pump operations

It is also recommended that fire brigade members participate in a physical fitness program. Many benefits can be attributed to being physically fit. Physical fitness may help to reduce the number of sprain and strain injuries, and contribute to strengthening the cardiovascular system.

Training and education. Training and education must be provided for all fire brigade members corresponding to the duties and functions that the brigade is expected to perform (those functions as specified in the organizational statement). This includes the operation of all fire fighting and rescue equipment and systems that they are expected to use.

Training has to be completed before members can perform fire brigade emergency activities. There are no specific training and education requirements because the type, amount, and frequency of training and education will be as varied as the purposes for which fire brigades are organized.

At a minimum, hands-on training must be conducted annually for all brigade members. For those members who are expected to perform interior structural fire fighting, some type of training or education session must be provided at least quarterly.

In addition to the required hands-on training, fire brigade members should receive other types of training and education such as:

• Classroom instruction,
• Reviewing emergency action procedures,
• Pre-fire planning,
• Reviewing special hazards in the workplace, and
• Practice in the use of self-contained breathing apparatus.

Training should incorporate any new hazards, equipment, processes, or procedures as they are introduced into the workplace.

Recordkeeping. Keep a training record for each brigade member. The record should include, but is not limited to:

• Courses completed,
• Subjects studied,
• Content of refresher courses,
• Test results or other evaluations of skills and knowledge,
• Drill attendance, and
• Any special accomplishments achieved by the member.

Duplicative training. It is not necessary to duplicate the same training or education that a fire brigade member receives as a member of a community volunteer fire department, rescue squad, or similar organization. However, such training or education must have been provided to the fire brigade member within the past year and it must be documented that the member has received the training.

For example, there is no need for a brigade member to receive a training class in the use of positive-pressure self-contained breathing apparatus if the member has recently completed such training as a member of a community fire department. Instead, the member should receive training or education covering other important equipment or duties of the fire brigade as they relate to workplace hazards, facilities and processes.

Brigade instructors . Fire brigade instructors must receive a higher level of training than the brigade members that they will be teaching. This includes being more knowledgeable about the functions the brigade will perform and the hazards involved.

Instructors should be qualified to train members and demonstrate skills in communication, methods of teaching, and motivation.

Brigade leaders. It is important that leaders who supervise the fire brigade during emergency situations receive the necessary training and education for supervising brigade activities during hazardous and stressful situations.

Leaders should be involved in the selection of brigade members, developing pre-emergency plans, gathering information on hazardous materials that members may be exposed to, selecting and maintaining equipment, issuing reports on the status of the brigade to management at least annually, and assisting in fire investigations.

Recommendations for a training program. The following recommendations should not be considered all of the necessary elements of a comprehensive training program, because each plan should be specific to the workplace and its particular hazards. This information, however, will be helpful to use as a guide in developing your own fire brigade training program.

All fire brigade members should be familiar with:

• Exit facilities and their location,
• Emergency escape routes for handicapped workers, and
• The workplace emergency action plan.

Fire brigade members who are expected to control and extinguish fires should, at the minimum, be trained in the use of:

• Fire extinguishers,
• Standpipes, and
• Other fire equipment they are assigned to use.

Fire brigade members should be aware of first aid medical procedures and procedures for dealing with hazards to which they may be exposed.

Training and education should include both classroom instruction and actual operation of the equipment under simulated emergency conditions. Drills must be conducted at least annually.

Hands-on type training must be conducted at least annually, but some functions should be reviewed more often.

Fire brigade members who are expected to perform emergency rescue and interior structural fire fighting should, at a minimum, be familiar with the proper techniques in rescue and fire suppression procedures. These members should receive education and training in:

• Fire protection courses,
• Classroom training,
• Simulated fire situations including wet drills, and
• When feasible, extinguishment of actual mock fires.
• Training and education for these members must be at least quarterly. However, to maintain the proficiency of fire brigade members, some drills or classroom training should be conducted as often as monthly or even weekly.

Specific hazards. All fire brigade members must be informed about special hazards to which they may be exposed during fire and other emergencies. Hazards, such as those listed below, can pose difficult problems.

• Storage and use areas of flammable liquids and gases.
• Toxic chemicals.
• Water-reactive substances.

You must develop written procedures that describe the actions that will be taken in situations involving special hazards. Brigade members must be trained in handling these special hazards as well as keeping abreast of any changes that occur in relation to these hazards.

Communications. There must be means of communication established to:

• Notify brigade members when a fire occurs, and
• For brigade members to communicate with each other during a fire.

Fire fighting equipment. All fire fighting equipment must be maintained in safe operational condition. Therefore, it is important that any fire fighting equipment which is damaged be removed from service and replaced. This will prevent fire brigade members from using unsafe equipment by mistake.

• Fire fighting equipment, except portable fire extinguishers and respirators, must be inspected at least annually.
• Portable fire extinguishers and respirators must be inspected at least monthly.

Fire brigade apparatus must be operated only by properly trained members. Drivers must have a valid driver’s license for the type of vehicle they are operating as required by state law or company policy. All persons riding on the apparatus must be seated and wear seat belts.

The vehicle must be inspected at least weekly and within 24 hours after use. If a vehicle is found to be unsafe, it must be removed from service until it is repaired.

Protective clothing. OSHA does not require that employees who use fire extinguishers or standpipe systems wear protective clothing. Employers do not have to provide a full ensemble of protective clothing for every fire brigade member without considering the types of hazardous environments to which the fire brigade member might be exposed.

Adequate protection must be provided for those fire brigade members who may be exposed to advanced stage fires, smoke, toxic gases, and high temperatures. In other words, those members who perform interior structural fire fighting operations.

Foot and leg protection. Fire brigade members have the option of complying with foot and leg requirements by wearing either long fire-resistive coats in combination with fully extended boots, or short fire-resistive coats in combination with protective trousers and protective shoes or shorter boots.

Body protection. Brigade members also have several options in achieving body protection. They may wear a fire-resistive coat in combination with fully extended boots, or a fire-resistive coat in combination with protective trousers.

Hand protection. Protective gloves or a glove system may provide adequate hand protection. A glove system consists of a combination of different gloves. The usual components of a glove system consist of a pair of gloves, which provide thermal insulation to the hands, worn in combination with a second pair of gloves which provide protection against flame, cut, and puncture.

Protective gloves should provide dexterity and a sense of feel for objects.

Head, eye, and face protection. Head protective devices must have ear flaps that will be available if needed. It is recommended that ear protection always be used while fighting interior structural fires.

Many head protective devices are equipped with face shields to protect the eyes and face. Face shields must meet the eye and face protection requirements under the personal protective equipment standard at 1910.133.

Additionally, full facepieces, helmets, or hoods of approved breathing apparatus which meet the requirements of 1910.134 and 1910.156(f) are also acceptable as meeting the eye and face protection requirements.

It is recommended that a flame resistant protective head covering such as a hood or snood, which will not adversely affect the seal of a respirator facepiece, be worn during interior structural fire fighting operations to protect the sides of the face and hair.

Respiratory protective devices. Respiratory protection must be worn by fire brigade members who are working inside buildings or confined spaces where toxic products of combustion or an oxygen deficiency are likely to be present. Respirators must also be worn during every emergency situation that involves toxic substances.

Before being allowed to wear a respirator, members must be fit tested to ensure a good seal, protection factors for respirators are determined by fit tests. The protection factor is determined by dividing the known concentration of the contaminant in the test atmosphere by the concentration of the contaminant inside the facepiece when performing certain exercises.

Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are not required to be equipped with either a buddy-breathing device or a quick-disconnect valve. However, these accessories may be very useful and are acceptable as long as they do not:

• Cause damage to the apparatus,
• Restrict the air flow of the apparatus, or
• Obstruct the normal operation of the apparatus.

Emergency escape. Buddy-breathing devices are useful for emergency situations where a victim or another fire brigade member can share the same air supply with the wearer of the apparatus for emergency escape purposes.

Alternate means of respiratory protection should be provided for emergency escape purposes if the SCBA becomes inoperative. Alternative means may be either a buddy-breathing device, or an escape self-contained breathing apparatus (ESCBA).

The ESCBA is a short-duration respiratory protective device that is approved for emergency escape purposes only. If ESCBA units are used, they should have at least 5 minutes of service life.

Determine your fire response. Your company must decide what actions your workers will take if a fire emergency occurs. This decision will help determine if organizing a fire brigade is feasible. The three basic actions you must consider involving employee responsibility.

1. All employees are evacuated from the workplace at the time of a fire emergency.
2. Certain employees are permitted to remain to fight fires and to evacuate all other non-essential employees at the time of a fire emergency; and
3. All employees are permitted to use portable fire extinguishers to fight fires.

Interior fires vs. exterior fires. You must also consider the work area when deciding how employees will respond to fires in your workplace. Normally, outside (exterior) work areas are open to the environment and are somewhat less hazardous than interiors because the by-products of combustion are generally carried away in the thermal column of the fire. Once outside, employees also have a greater selection of evacuation routes if it’s necessary to abandon fire fighting efforts.

Inside (interior) work areas pose a greater hazard to employees. Interior fires result in greater exposure to quantities of smoke, toxic gases, and heat. This occurs because of the capability of a building to contain or entrap the products of combustion until the building can be ventilated.