WAC 296-305-02019
Life safety ropes, harnesses, and
hardware protection. (1) All life safety ropes, harnesses, and
hardware used by fire departments shall meet the applicable
requirements of NFPA 1983, Standard on Fire Service Life Safety
Rope, Harness, and Hardware, 1990 edition.
(2) Ropes used to support the weight of members or other
persons during rescue, fire fighting, other emergency operations,
or during training evolutions shall be life safety rope.
(3) Life safety rope used for rescue at fires, or other
emergency incidents, or for training, shall be permitted to be
reused if inspected before, and after, each such use in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and provided:
(a) The rope has not been visually damaged by the exposure
to heat, direct flame impingement, chemical exposure, or
abrasion.
(b) The rope has not been subjected to any impact load.
(c) The rope has not been exposed to chemical liquids,
solids, gases, mists, or vapors of any materials, known to
deteriorate rope.
(d) If the rope used for rescue at fires or other emergency
incidents, or for training, has been subjected to (a), (b), or
(c) of this section, or fails the visual inspection, it shall be
destroyed after such use.
(e) If there is any question regarding the serviceability of
the rope after consideration of the above, the safe course of
action shall be taken and the rope shall be placed out of
service. See Appendix B.
(f) Rope inspection shall be conducted by qualified
inspectors in accordance with rope inspection procedures
established and recommended as adequate by the rope manufacturer
to assure rope is suitable for reuse.
(4) Fire departments shall establish written procedures for
the use of life safety ropes and rescue operations utilizing
harnesses and ropes.
(5) Records shall provide a history of each life safety and
training rope. The minimum information to be reflected in the
record of history of life safety and training ropes shall
include: Date of manufacturer, organization serial number, use
list to include inspectors name and space for comments.
(6) Rope used for training evolutions shall be designated as
training rope and shall be permitted to be reused if inspected
before and after each use in accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions.
(7) The destruction of a rope means that it shall be removed
from service and altered in such a manner that it could not be
mistakenly used as a life safety rope. This includes disposal or
removal of labels and cutting into short lengths to be used for
utility purposes.
(8) All repairs to life safety harnesses shall be done by an
authorized manufacturer's representative, or the manufacturer.
Note:
See WAC 296-305-06003 (3), (4), (5), and (6) for the testing of life belts, ropes, and harnesses.
(9) Class I safety harnesses shall be used for fire fighter
attachment to ladders and aerial devices.
(10) Class II and Class III life safety harnesses shall be
utilized for fall arrest and rappelling operations.
(11) Rescue ropes shall be padded when deployed over edges
or rough surfaces.