WAC 296-305-02001
Personal protective equipment and
protective clothing.
Note:
For wildland firefighting personal protective equipment and clothing requirements see WAC 296-305-07003, Personal
protective clothing and equipment for wildland firefighting.
(1) Employers shall provide and maintain at no cost to
the employee the appropriate protective ensemble/protective
clothing to protect from the hazards to which the member is or
is likely to be exposed. Employers shall ensure the use of
all protective equipment and clothing required by this
standard. Employers shall assure that the protective clothing
and equipment ordered or purchased after the effective date of
this standard meets the requirements of this standard. Full
protective equipment designated for the task, shall be worn
for all department activities.
(2) Firefighters shall be trained in the function,
donning and doffing, care, use, inspection, maintenance and
limitations of the protective equipment assigned to them or
available for their use.
(3) Protective clothing and protective equipment shall be
used and maintained in accordance with manufacturer's
instructions. A written maintenance, repair, retirement,
servicing, and inspection program shall be established for
protective clothing and equipment. Specific responsibilities
shall be assigned for inspection and maintenance. This
requirement applies to firefighter's personally owned
equipment as well as equipment issued by the employer.
(4) The fire department shall provide for the cleaning of
protective clothing and contaminated station/work uniforms at
no cost to the employee. Such cleaning shall be performed by
either a cleaning service, or at a fire department facility,
that is equipped to handle contaminated clothing.
Note:
See Appendix A.
(5) Personal protective equipment and clothing shall be
of a type specified by NIOSH, MSHA, NFPA, ANSI, or as
specifically referenced in the appropriate section of this
chapter.
(6) Station/work uniforms. Station/work uniforms are not
themselves intended as primary protective garments.
(a) Station/work uniforms if provided, shall meet the
requirements as specified in the 1990 or 1994 edition of NFPA
1975.
(b) All station/work uniforms purchased after the
effective date of this regulation shall meet the requirements
set forth in this standard.
(c) Station/work uniforms include trousers, and/or
coveralls, but exclude shirts, underwear, and socks.
(d) Members shall not wear any clothing that is
determined to be unsafe due to poor thermal stability or poor
flame resistance when engaged in or exposed to the hazards of
structural firefighting. Because it is impossible to ensure
that every member will respond to an incident in a
station/work uniform or will change out of fabrics that have
poor thermal stability or ignite easily, before donning
protective garments, the fire department shall inform members
of the hazards of fabrics that melt, drip, burn, stick to the
skin and cause burns to the wearer due to poor thermal
stability or poor flame resistance.
(e) Garments meeting the requirements of WAC 296-305-07003(1), meet the intent of this section.
(f) Station/work uniforms purchased prior to the
effective date of this chapter shall be acceptable for a
period of two years or until the employers current inventory
has been exhausted, whichever comes first.
(7) Turnout clothing/pants and coat:
Proximity clothing:
(a) All turnout clothing used as proximity clothing shall
meet the requirements of NFPA, 1976 Standard on Protective
Clothing for Proximity Firefighting, 1992 edition.
(b) There shall be at least a two-inch overlap of all
layers of the protective coat and the protective trousers so
there is no gaping of the total thermal protection when the
protective garments are worn. The minimum overlap shall be
determined by measuring the garments on the wearer, without
SCBA, with the wearer in the most stretched position, hands
together reaching overhead as high as possible.
(c) Single piece protective coveralls shall not be
required to have an overlap of all layers as long as there is
continuous full thermal protection.
(d) Fire departments that provide protective coats with
protective resilient wristlets secured through a thumb opening
may provide gloves of the gauntlet type for use with these
protective coats. Fire departments that do not provide such
wristlets attached to all protective coats shall provide
gloves of the wristlet type for use with these protective
coats.
(8) Structural firefighting clothing.
(a) All turnout clothing purchased after the effective
date of these regulations shall meet the requirements of the
1991 edition of NFPA, Standard on Protective Clothing for
Structural Firefighting 1971 or the 1997 edition of NFPA,
Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Firefighting
1971. In no case, shall firefighters wear personal protective
clothing manufactured prior to the 1986 edition, NFPA,
Standard on Protective Clothing for Structural Firefighting
1971.
(b) Turnout clothing shall be maintained as specified by
the manufacturer.
(c) Repairs to turnout clothing shall be done to the
manufacturers specification by qualified individuals approved
by the manufacturer. Repairs must be made using materials and
methods in accordance with the applicable standards under
which the article was produced. Repairs include any and all
alterations, modifications, additions, deletions or any other
change made to the manufacturers PPE article.
(d) Turnout clothing which is damaged or does not comply
with this section shall not be used.
(e) All turnout clothing shall be inspected semi-annually
by an individual qualified by the employer. Inspection
intervals shall not exceed six months.