OSHA General Industry Standards (29 CFR Part 1910) 1910.156: 1910.156 Fire brigades

Applies when an employer establishes a fire brigade, industrial fire department or private or contractual fire department (not airport crash rescue or forest fire fighting); the protective equipment rules apply only to members doing interior structural fire fighting. Organization: the employer must prepare and maintain a written organizational statement setting out the brigade's existence, basic structure, the type, amount and frequency of training, the expected number of members and the functions it performs, available to OSHA and employees. Employees expected to do interior structural fire fighting must be physically capable, and employees with known heart disease, epilepsy or emphysema may not take part in emergency activities without a physician's certificate of fitness. Training and education must match expected duties, be given before members perform emergency activities, be more comprehensive for leaders and instructors, and be frequent enough for safe performance: at least annually for all members and at least quarterly (an education session or training) for interior structural fire fighters; its quality must be similar to recognized state fire training schools. Members must be told of special hazards such as flammable liquids and gases, toxic chemicals, radioactive sources and water reactive substances, and of changes to them, with written procedures for those hazards included in training. Fire fighting equipment must be maintained and inspected at least annually, portable extinguishers and respirators at least monthly, and damaged equipment removed and replaced. Protective clothing for interior structural fire fighters is provided at no cost and must protect head, body and extremities: fully extended boots or protective shoes with protective trousers; footwear meeting 1910.136 Class 75, water-resistant at least 5 inches above the heel, slip-resistant soles and resisting midsole penetration by an 8D nail under at least 300 pounds (1330 N); fire-resistive coats and trousers at least equivalent to NFPA 1971-1975, with outer shell tearing strength of at least 8 pounds and no separation or melting after 5 minutes at 500 degrees F, char length not over 4.0 inches and after-flame not over 2.0 seconds; gloves resisting cut (16 lbf), puncture (13.2 lbf) and heat (inside no more than 135 degrees F after 5 seconds at 932 degrees F), flame resistant with after-flame no more than 2.0 seconds and char no more than 4.0 inches, with wristlets of at least 4.0 inches where the coat does not protect the wrist; helmets with ear flaps and chin strap meeting the 1977 U.S. Fire Administration model criteria; and eye and face protection meeting 1910.133 (breathing apparatus facepieces meeting 1910.134 qualify). Respirators must meet 1910.134; approved SCBA with full facepiece, helmet or hood must be worn inside buildings or confined spaces where toxic combustion products or oxygen deficiency may be present and in toxic substance emergencies; buddy-breathing devices or quick disconnect valves are allowed if they do not impair the apparatus; cylinders may be interchanged only at the same capacity and pressure rating and must meet DOT and NIOSH criteria; SCBA need a minimum 30-minute service life rating (except escape-only units) and an audible alarm when remaining service life falls to 20 to 25 percent; and SCBA for interior structural fire fighting must be pressure-demand or other positive-pressure (or switched to positive-pressure mode). Compliance dates in the text (1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1990) are all past. The mandatory Appendix E to Subpart L sets the test methods that must be used: nail puncture resistance for footwear, trapezoid tear strength for cloth, and vertical flame resistance measuring after-flame and char length.