WAC 296-304-01019   Training.  (1) The employer must train employees in the applicable requirements of this section:

     (a) By March 1, 2006, for employees currently working;

     (b) Upon initial assignment for new employees; and

     (c) When necessary to maintain proficiency for employees previously trained.

     (2) Employee training. The employer must ensure that all employees are trained on:

     (a) The emergency alarm signals, including system discharge alarms and employee evacuation alarms; and

     (b) The primary and secondary evacuation routes that employees must use in the event of a fire in the workplace. While all vessels and vessel sections must have a primary evacuation route, a secondary evacuation route is not required when impracticable.

     (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 firefighting, and the procedures used to reduce these hazards;

     (b) The hazards associated with fixed and portable fire protection systems that employees may use or to which they may be exposed during discharge of those systems; and

     (c) The activation and operation of fixed and portable fire protection systems that the employer expects employees to use in the workplace.

     (4) Additional training requirements for shipyard employees designated for fire response. The employer must:

     (a) Have a written training policy stating that fire response employees must be trained and capable of carrying out their duties and responsibilities at all times;

     (b) Keep written standard operating procedures that address anticipated emergency operations and update these procedures as necessary;

     (c) Review fire response employee training programs and hands-on sessions before they are used in fire response training to make sure that fire response employees are protected from hazards associated with fire response training;

     (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;

     (e) Train new fire response employees before they engage in emergency operations;

     (f) At least quarterly, provide training on the written operating procedures to fire response employees who are expected to fight fires;

     (g) Use qualified instructors to conduct the training;

     (h) Conduct any training that involves live fire response exercises in accordance with NFPA 1403-2002 Standard on Live Fire Training Evolutions (incorporated by reference, see WAC 296-304-01003);

     (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

     (j) Prohibit the use of smoke generating devices that create a dangerous atmosphere in training exercises.

     (5) Additional training requirements for fire watch duty.

     (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:

     (i) Before being assigned to fire watch duty;

     (ii) Whenever there is a change in operations that presents a new or different hazard;

     (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

     (iv) Annually.

     (b) The employer must ensure that each employee who stands fire watch duty is trained in:

     (i) The basics of fire behavior, the different classes of fire and of extinguishing agents, the stages of fire, and methods for extinguishing fires;

     (ii) Extinguishing live fire scenarios whenever allowed by local and federal law;

     (iii) The recognition of the adverse health effects that may be caused by exposure to fire;

     (iv) The physical characteristics of the hot work area;

     (v) The hazards associated with fire watch duties;

     (vi) The personal protective equipment (PPE) needed to perform fire watch duties safely;

     (vii) The use of PPE;

     (viii) The selection and use of any fire extinguishers and fire hoses likely to be used by a fire watch in the work area;

     (ix) The location and use of barriers;

     (x) The means of communication designated by the employer for fire watches;

     (xi) When and how to start fire alarm procedures; and

     (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:

     (i) The fire watch perceives an unsafe condition;

     (ii) The fire watch perceives that a worker performing hot work is in danger;

     (iii) The employer or a representative of the employer orders an evacuation; or

     (iv) An evacuation signal, such as an alarm, is activated.

     (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.



[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. 05-19-086, § 296-304-01019, filed 9/20/05, effective 12/1/05.]