WAC 296-305-03001
Hazardous materials protection. (1)
Structural fire fighting protective clothing shall not be used as
primary protection for hazardous material incidents except as
noted in the current edition of the Department of Transportation
Emergency Response guidebook, which is incorporated by reference
or shall be demonstrated by the employer to be equally effective.
(2) Fire departments shall use the technical data package
provided by the clothing manufacturer when selecting the
hazardous chemical protection.
(a) The approach to selecting personal protective clothing
must encompass an ensemble of clothing items that are integrated
to provide a level of protection and the ability to carry out
emergency response activities.
(b) The following is a check list of components that may
form the chemical protective ensemble:
(3) Hazardous chemical protective equipment shall be
classified by performance and for the purpose of this chapter are
defined as:
(a) Vapor-Protective Suits (Level "A")
(b) Liquid Splash-Protective Suits (Level "B")
(c) Support Function Protective Suits
(4) Fire department personnel involved in hazardous
materials incident shall be protected against potential chemical
hazards. Chemical protective clothing shall be selected and used
to protect the respiratory system, skin, eyes, face, hands, feet,
head, and body.
(5) Vapor protective and liquid splash-protective suits
shall completely cover both the wearer and the wearer's breathing
apparatus. Wearing a SCBA or other respiratory equipment outside
the suit subjects this equipment to the chemically contaminated
environment, increasing possible failure potentials and
decontamination problems.
(6) Fire fighters who engage in operations likely to result
in significant exposure to vapors that can reasonably be presumed
harmful by way of dermal exposure shall have available and make
appropriate use of vapor protective suits. Vapor protective
suits shall meet the requirements of NFPA, Standard on Vapor
Suits for Hazardous Chemical Emergencies in 1991, 1990 edition,
with the single exception that suits meeting all but the
flammability standard may only be worn in atmospheres verified by
means of appropriate air monitoring to be at no more than 10% of
the lower explosive limit (LEL).
(7) Prior to the use of vapor protective suits, liquid
splash-protective suits or support function protective suits, the
department shall consult the technical data package to assure
that the garment is appropriate for the specific hazardous
chemical emergency.
(8) Vapor protective suits and liquid splash-protective
suits shall not be used alone for any fire fighting applications
or for protection from radiological, biological, or cryogenic
agents or in flammable or explosive atmospheres.
(9) Fire fighters who engage in operations or who are
exposed to known chemicals in liquid-splash chemical environments
during hazardous chemical material emergencies shall be provided
with, and shall use, liquid splash-protective suits. Liquid
splash-protective suits shall meet the requirements of NFPA,
Standard on Liquid-Splash Protective Suits for Hazardous Chemical
Emergencies 1992, 1991 edition.
(10) Liquid splash-protective suits shall not be used when
operations are likely to result in significant exposure to
chemicals or specific chemical mixtures with known or suspected
carcinogenicity as indicated by any one of the following
documents if it can reasonably be expected that fire fighters in
vapor protective suits would be significantly better protected:
(a) N. Irving Sax, Dangerous Properties of Industrial
Chemicals, current edition.
(b) NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, current edition.
(c) U.S. Coast Guard Chemical Hazard Response Information
System (CHRIS), Volumes 13, Hazardous Chemical Data.
(11) Liquid splash-protective suits shall not be used when
operations are likely to result in significant exposure to
chemicals or specific chemical mixtures with skin toxicity
notations as indicated by the American Conference of Government
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), Threshold Limit Values and
Biological Exposure Indices for 1988-1989 if it can reasonably be
expected that fire fighters in vapor protective suits would be
significantly better protected.
(12) Support garments shall not be used in the hot zone of
any hazardous material operation.
(13) Fire fighters assigned to functional support operations
outside the hot zone during hazardous chemical emergencies shall
be provided with and shall use support function protective
garments. Support function garments shall meet the requirements
of NFPA, Standard on Support Function Protective Garments for
Hazardous Chemical Operations 1993, 1990 edition.
(14) Support function protective garments shall not be used
for protection from chemical or specific chemical mixture with
known or suspected carcinogenicity as indicated by (10)(a), (b),
or (c).
(15) Support function protective garments shall not be used
for protection from chemicals or specific chemical mixtures with
skin toxicity notations as indicated in the American Conference
of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Threshold Values and
Biological Exposure Indices for 1988-1989.