Emergency Response and Preparedness, 51735-51743 [E7-17771]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 11, 2007 / Proposed Rules
27 CFR Part 7
Advertising, Beer, Customs duties and
inspection, Imports, Labeling, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements, Trade
practices.
alcohol derived from added flavors or
other added nonbeverage ingredients
(other than hops extract) containing
alcohol.
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Signed: January 8, 2007.
John J. Manfreda,
Administrator.
Approved: May 21, 2007.
Timothy E. Skud,
Deputy Assistant Secretary (Tax, Trade, and
Tariff Policy).
Amendment to the Regulations
For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, TTB proposes to amend 27
CFR, parts 4, 5, and 7, as follows:
PART 4—LABELING AND
ADVERTISING OF WINE
1. The authority citation for part 4
continues to read as follows:
Authority: 27 U.S.C. 205, unless otherwise
noted.
Editorial Note: This document was
received at the Office of the Federal Register
on September 6, 2007.
[FR Doc. E7–17909 Filed 9–10–07; 8:45 am]
2. In § 4.32:
a. Paragraph (a)(3) is removed and
reserved; and
b. A new paragraph (b)(3) is added to
read as follows:
§ 4.32
Mandatory label information.
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(b) * * *
(3) Alcohol content, in accordance
with § 4.36.
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BILLING CODE 4810–31–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration
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29 CFR Part 1910
[Docket No. H–010]
RIN 1218–AC17
PART 5—LABELING AND
ADVERTISING OF DISTILLED SPIRITS
Emergency Response and
Preparedness
3. The authority citation for part 5
continues to read as follows:
AGENCY:
Authority: 26 U.S.C. 5301, 7805, 27 U.S.C.
205.
4. In § 5.32:
a. Paragraph (a)(3) is removed and
reserved; and
b. Paragraph (b)(6) is added to read as
follows:
§ 5.32
Mandatory label information.
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(b) * * *
(6) Alcohol content, in accordance
with § 5.37.
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PART 7—LABELING AND
ADVERTISING OF MALT BEVERAGES
5. The authority citation for part 7
continues to read as follows:
Authority: 27 U.S.C. 205.
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6. In § 7.22:
a. Paragraph (a)(5) is removed and
reserved; and
b. Paragraph (b)(3) is revised to read
as follows:
§ 7.22
Mandatory label information.
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(b) * * *
(3) Alcohol content, in accordance
with § 7.71, when required by State law
or for malt beverages that contain any
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Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), Department of
Labor.
ACTION: Request for information.
SUMMARY: Elements of emergency
responder health and safety are
currently regulated by OSHA primarily
under the following standards: The
Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard; the
personal protective equipment general
requirements standard; the respiratory
protection standard; the permit-required
confined space standard; the fire brigade
standard; and the bloodborne pathogens
standard. Some of these standards were
promulgated decades ago, and none was
designed as a comprehensive emergency
response standard. Consequently, they
do not address the full range of hazards
or concerns currently facing emergency
responders, nor do they reflect major
changes in performance specifications
for protective clothing and equipment.
Current OSHA standards also do not
reflect all the major improvements in
safety and health practices that have
already been accepted by the emergency
response community and incorporated
into industry consensus standards.
OSHA is requesting information and
comment from the public to evaluate
what action, if any, the Agency should
take to further address emergency
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51735
response and preparedness. The Agency
will be considering emergency response
and preparedness at common
emergencies (e.g., fires or emergency
medical and other rescue situations), as
well as large scale emergencies (e.g.,
natural and intentional disasters).
OSHA’s areas of interest are primarily:
personal protective equipment; training
and qualifications; medical evaluation
and health monitoring; and safety
management. The agency will also be
evaluating the types of personnel who
would constitute either emergency
responders or skilled support employees
at such events, as well as the range of
activities that might constitute
emergency response and preparedness.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by
the following dates:
Hard copy: Your comments must be
submitted (postmarked or sent) by
December 10, 2007.
Facsimile and electronic
transmission: Your comments must be
sent by December 10, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments,
requests for hearings and additional
materials by any of the following
methods:
Electronically: You may submit
comments, requests for hearings, and
attachments electronically at https://
www.regulations.gov, which is the
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the
instructions on-line for making
electronic submissions.
Fax: If your submissions, including
attachments, are not longer than 10
pages, you may fax them to the OSHA
Docket Office at (202) 693–1648.
Mail, hand delivery, express mail,
messenger or courier service: You must
submit three copies of your comments,
requests for hearings and attachments to
the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. S–
023B, U.S. Department of Labor, Room
N–2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries
(hand, express mail, messenger and
courier service) are accepted during the
Department of Labor’s and Docket
Office’s normal business hours, 8:15
a.m.–4:45 p.m., e.t.
Instructions: All submissions must
include the Agency name and the OSHA
docket number for this rulemaking
(OSHA Docket No. S–023B).
Submissions, including any personal
information you provide, are placed in
the public docket without change and
may be made available online at
https://www.regulations.gov.
Docket: To read or download
submissions or other material in the
docket, go to https://www.regulations.gov
or the OSHA Docket Office at the
address above. All documents in the
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 175 / Tuesday, September 11, 2007 / Proposed Rules
docket are listed in the https://
www.regulations.gov index, however,
some information (e.g., copyrighted
material) is not publicly available to
read or download through the Web site.
All submissions, including copyrighted
material, are available for inspection
and copying at the OSHA Docket Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Press Inquiries: Kevin Ropp, Director,
OSHA Office of Communications, Room
N–3647, U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693–1999.
General and Technical Information:
Carol Jones, Acting Director, Office of
Biological Hazards, OSHA Directorate of
Standards and Guidance, Room N–3718,
U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693–2299.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Request for Data, Information and
Comments
A. The Scope of Emergency Response
B. Personal Protective Equipment
C. Training and Qualifications
D. Medical Evaluation and Health
Monitoring
E. Safety
F. Additional Information
III. Public Participation
IV. Authority and Signature
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Number
Fires ......................................
Medical Aid ...........................
False Alarms .........................
Mutual Aid/Assistance ..........
Hazmat .................................
Other Hazardous (Arcing
wires, bomb removal, etc.)
All Other (Smoke scares,
lock-outs, etc.) ...................
There were more than 21 million
emergency response incidents in 2002
(see Table 1). Emergency responders
include: Firefighters, emergency
medical service personnel, hazardous
material employees, and technical
rescue specialists. Law enforcement
officers are also usually considered
emergency responders and are often
called to assist in emergency response
incidents. OSHA notes, however, that it
has not promulgated standards
specifically addressing occupational
hazards that are inherently and
uniquely related to law enforcement
activities. Many emergency responders
are cross-trained and may serve in
multiple roles depending upon the
nature of the emergency incident. The
hazards that emergency responders face
will also vary depending upon the type
of incident. In addition to emergency
responders, skilled support employees
can also play an important role in
emergency response. Skilled support
employees are not emergency
responders, but nonetheless have
specialized training that can be
important to the safe and successful
resolution of an emergency incident,
such as operating heavy equipment or
17:19 Sep 10, 2007
TABLE 1.—DISTRIBUTION OF 2002
U.S. EMERGENCY INCIDENTS AS REPORTED BY THE NATIONAL FIRE
PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
Emergency response
I. Background
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shutting down electrical power or
natural gas.
Emergency response, which includes
firefighting, is one of the most
hazardous occupations in America. The
United States Fire Administration has
recently reported that 111 firefighters
died in 2003, and that, on average, 100
firefighters have died each year for the
last ten years (excluding the fatalities
attributable to the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001) (Ex. 1–2).
Furthermore, the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) reported
that during the 10-year period of 1993–
2002, approximately 594,000 firefighters
were injured in the line of duty at
emergency response incidents. The
average annual rate of firefighter injuries
is more than 59,000 per year for this
period (Ex. 1–2).
1,687,500
12,903,000
2,116,000
888,500
361,000
Total ...............................
21,303,500
603,500
2,744,000
(Source: Ex. 1–3)
While the preceding statistics concern
firefighters, this Request for Information
is intended to gather information about
all emergency responders and skilled
support employees. However, injury
and illness rates for other facets of
emergency response are difficult to
determine due to the multiple roles of
some responders (e.g., many firefighters
are also EMTs) and a lack of specific
data (e.g., injury and illness rates of
skilled support employees, such as
heavy equipment operators, arising
directly from emergency response
activities). OSHA is interested in
receiving information about the number
and types of responder fatalities,
injuries, and illnesses incurred during
emergency incidents.
A recent report by the U.S. Fire
Administration, A Needs Assessment of
the U.S. Fire Service, examined the
condition of the fire service and its
ability to respond to incidents, both
large and small (Ex. 1–4). The report
found that fire departments of all sizes
have unmet needs relating to both their
traditional firefighting responsibilities
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and their new homeland securityrelated responsibilities. In addition,
another report by the U.S. Fire
Administration and the National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation, Firefighter Life
Safety Summit Initial Report, found that
there are many significant health and
safety concerns among the fire service
(Ex. 1–5). The report recognized the
need for national standards on training,
qualifications, medical and physical
fitness, as well as for emergency
response policies and procedures. A
series of three joint reports by the
National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the
RAND Corporation (RAND) have also
recognized a need for further standards
in order to improve the operational
response to terrorist attacks and better
protect the health and safety of
emergency responders (Protecting
Emergency Responders: Lessons
Learned from Terrorist Attacks;
Protecting Emergency Responders (Ex.
1–6); Volume 2: Community Views of
Safety and Health Risks and Personal
Protection Needs; and Protecting
Emergency Responders (Ex. 1–7);
Volume 3: Safety Management in
Disaster and Terrorism Response (Ex. 1–
8)).
Furthermore, the Homeland Security
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101) and
Homeland Security Presidential
Directive #8 (HSPD#8), which were
established to strengthen the
preparedness of the United States to
prevent and respond to threatened or
actual domestic terrorist attacks, major
disasters, and other emergencies, have
changed the Federal approach to
emergency response and preparedness
capabilities at Federal, State, and local
entities (Ex. 1–9). In March of 2004, the
Department of Homeland Security
published the National Incident
Management System (NIMS) (Ex. 1–10).
This system provides a consistent
nationwide approach for Federal, State,
local and tribal governments to work
effectively and efficiently together to
prepare for, prevent, respond to, and
recover from domestic incidents,
regardless of cause, size, or complexity.
Homeland Security Presidential
Directive #5 (HSPD#5) requires all
Federal agencies to implement NIMS,
and also requires Federal agencies to
make the NIMS a required element for
receiving State and local preparedness
grant funding (Ex. 1–11). Additionally,
in January 2005, the Department of
Homeland Security released the
National Response Plan (NRP), which
establishes a comprehensive all-hazards
approach to enhance the ability of the
United States to manage domestic
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incidents (Ex. 1–12). The NRP
incorporates best practices and
procedures from incident management
disciplines—homeland security,
emergency management, law
enforcement, firefighting, public works,
public health, responder and recovery
worker health and safety, emergency
medical services, and the private
sector—and integrates them into a
unified structure. The NRP forms the
basis of how Federal departments and
agencies will work together and how the
Federal government will coordinate
with State, local, and tribal governments
and the private sector during incidents.
In addition, the NRP establishes
protocols that are applicable to
emergency responders and skilled
support employees in order to help
protect the nation from terrorist attacks
and other natural and manmade
hazards; save lives; protect public
health, safety, property, and the
environment; and reduce adverse
psychological consequences and
disruptions to the American way of life.
OSHA addresses the elements of
emergency responder health and safety
primarily by the following OSHA
standards: The hazardous waste
operations and emergency response
standard (29 CFR 1910.120); the
personal protective equipment general
requirements standard (29 CFR
1910.132); the respiratory protection
standard (29 CFR 1910.134); the permitrequired confined space standard (29
CFR 1910.146); the fire brigade standard
(29 CFR 1910.156); and the bloodborne
pathogens standard (29 CFR 1910.1030).
These standards were designed to
address the health and safety needs of
employees over a broad cross-section of
industries and workplaces. None of
these standards was designed as a
comprehensive emergency response
standard, and as a result, specific
hazards are addressed in a piecemeal
manner, and important concepts in
emergency management are not
addressed at all.
In addition, the OSHA standards do
not address the full range of hazards or
concerns currently facing emergency
responders. Some of these standards
rely on outdated performance
specifications for protective equipment.
For example, the current standard on
firefighters’ protective clothing is based
on the 1975 edition of the NFPA 1971
standard. Current OSHA standards do
not reflect many of the major
developments in safety and health
practices that have already been
accepted by the emergency response
community and incorporated into the
consensus standards promulgated by the
NFPA and other standards development
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organizations. For example, the use of
an incident management system is
currently required only by the
Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR
1910.120). While the Hazardous Waste
Operations and Emergency Response
Standard does cover hazardous
materials incidents, it does not cover
most types of emergency incidents (e.g.,
fires, technical rescue, structural
collapse or natural disasters).
In addition, coverage issues impact
the Agency’s activities in these areas.
Many emergency responders are state
and local government employees who
are covered by requirements in State or
local laws, either under the authority of
an OSHA-approved state plan or
through voluntarily established State
protection programs rather than under
Federal rules. In the case of the
Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard, State
and local employees in States without
an OSHA-approved plan are also
covered under an Environmental
Protection Agency standard (40 CFR
311) that incorporates the OSHA
requirements by reference.
State and local government employees
are excluded from OSHA coverage
under the Occupational Safety and
Health Act of 1970 (the ‘‘OSH Act’’).
However, pursuant to Section 18 of the
OSH Act, there are 26 States and
territories operating their own
workplace safety and health programs
under plans approved by OSHA (‘‘State
plans’’), which are required to extend
their coverage to public sector (State
and local government) employees and
employers in those jurisdictions,
including many emergency responders.
The 21 States and one territory
covering both private sector and State
and local government employment have
primary responsibility for the OSHA
program in their jurisdictions. All State
plans, including the 4 covering only
State and local government, are
responsible for adopting and enforcing
standards which are ‘‘at least as
effective as’’ Federal OSHA standards,
and for providing compliance assistance
to employers and employees under their
jurisdiction. Some State plans have
adopted different or supplemental
standards or guidance regarding
emergency response and preparedness
that exceed the existing Federal OSHA
standards. Some States have established
public employer employee protection
programs without OSHA State Plan
approval and funding. Many other
public sector employers still rely on the
OSHA standards as an important guide
in safety and health matters, even
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51737
though they are not legally required to
do so.
OSHA has significant experience and
expertise on matters related to
emergency responder health and safety.
OSHA personnel, as well as personnel
from the OSHA-approved State plans,
routinely respond to emergencies to
provide technical assistance and assure
employee safety. Following the terrorist
attacks at the World Trade Center on
September 11, 2001, OSHA helped
establish a strong and effective publicprivate partnership to help ensure
protection for the employees at the site.
At the national level, the Department of
Labor, OSHA, has been designated the
coordinating agency for employee safety
and health under the National Response
Plan (NRP). Additionally, many of the
OSHA-approved State plans are working
to establish a parallel role within their
State emergency response structure and
have implemented or assisted in the
development of emergency
preparedness and homeland security
related initiatives and guidance
materials at the State level.
The Agency has developed a wide
range of technical assistance and
guidance documents about the issue of
emergency response as well as
emergency responder health and safety
(https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/
emergencypreparedness/).
The OSHA Training Institute offers a
variety of courses on topics essential to
the safety and health of both uniformed
emergency responders and skilled
support employees (https://
www.osha.gov/dcsp/ote/). In
addition, OSHA, in collaboration with
the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS), has developed
a pre-event hazards awareness course
for Disaster Site Workers who may
respond as skilled support employees to
natural or man-made emergencies (e.g.,
heavy equipment operators,
construction workers, and electrical
power or natural gas utility employees).
This course is taught by OSHA Training
Institute Education Centers and OSHAauthorized trainers.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane
Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast of the
southeastern United States; the City of
New Orleans was particularly affected.
The emergency response to Hurricane
Katrina underscored the importance of
planning and preparedness, as well as
the multidisciplinary nature of
emergency response. OSHA expects that
the lessons learned from this incident
will be represented in the responses to
this Request for Information alongside
the lessons learned from both more
common events as well as other events
of national significance.
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OSHA is requesting information and
comment from the public to evaluate
what action, if any, the Agency should
take to further address emergency
response and preparedness.
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II. Request for Data, Information and
Comments
The following questions have been
provided to facilitate the collection of
the needed information and to make it
easier for the public to comment on
relevant issues. The questions are
grouped into five broad categories: The
scope of emergency response; personal
protective equipment; training and
qualifications; medical evaluation and
health monitoring; and safety. However,
commenters are encouraged to address
any aspect of emergency response and
preparedness that they feel would assist
the Agency in considering appropriate
action on the matter. The Agency is
particularly interested in ways to
incorporate flexibility into its standards
to make them more suited to the
demands of emergency response
activities. A detailed response to
questions, as well as your rationale or
reasoning for the position, rather than
simply replying ‘‘yes’’ or ‘‘no,’’ is
requested. Also, relevant data that may
be useful to OSHA’s deliberations, or in
conducting an analysis of impacts of
future Agency actions, should be
submitted. In order to assess the costs,
benefits or feasibility of any possible
regulatory intervention, the Agency
needs specific quantitative information
on various safety measures being
discussed. Therefore, for those instances
where you recommend a specific
intervention, any data in terms of costs
and benefits that helps form the
recommendation would be valuable.
The usefulness of your response will be
increased if they are tied to the
categories and sections. Please label
your responses with the lettered
category and question number.
A. The Scope of Emergency Response
The terms ‘‘emergency response’’ and
‘‘emergency responder’’ have been
defined and used differently in various
government laws and regulations as
well as industry consensus standards
and reports. Additionally, emergency
response work is unlike many other
types of employment, in that the actual
work site and hazards will vary based
upon the location and nature of the
incident. As the Agency considers the
issue of emergency response, it is
important to define the scope and
nature of work activities that might be
called emergency response and
preparedness, as well as the types of
employees and work activities that
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might be associated with emergency
response and preparedness.
1. Emergency response and
preparedness activities occur at both
common incidents (e.g., fires, car
accidents, or structural collapses) and
rare or unexpected incidents (e.g.,
natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or
special events that require enhanced
preparedness). If the Agency takes
action on emergency response and
preparedness, should it consider either
all types of emergency incidents (e.g.,
both common and rare events) or should
certain types of incidents be excluded?
If you believe a limited range is
appropriate, what types of incidents or
activities should be included or
excluded?
2. Emergency response and
preparedness activities have historically
included a range of events from preplanning for an emergency, to the actual
emergency response, and, ultimately, to
remediation/recovery. Should OSHA
consider the full continuum of activities
to be considered ‘‘emergency response
and preparedness’’? If not, what is an
appropriate range of activities for the
Agency to consider, and why?
3. What are the factors that should
indicate when the emergency response
to an event has fully transitioned into
remediation/recovery?
4. What types of work tasks (e.g.,
interior structural firefighting, exterior
firefighting, pre-hospital emergency
medical work, technical rescue, heavy
equipment operation) should be
considered emergency response or
skilled support work? What are the
hazards associated with each type of
work task? Are there any specific work
tasks that should be excluded from
consideration (e.g., work that is
inherently and exclusively performed
by law enforcement officers)?
5. Are there any new data that
describe the nature, magnitude, or
impact of emergency response and
preparedness operations (e.g., type and
number of incidents, type and quantity
of employees considered emergency
responders, financial costs, or
occupational injuries, illnesses, and
fatalities) that OSHA should consider
when evaluating the issue of emergency
response and preparedness? In
particular, are there relevant data on
skilled support employees at emergency
incidents or during preparedness
activities?
6. Many emergency responders are
State, county or municipal employees in
States with OSHA-approved safety and
health plans who are subject to the
requirements of the State Planequivalent of the current OSHA
standards in the same manner as private
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sector employees. As OSHA considers
the necessity for further action on the
safety and health of emergency
responders, are there issues or concerns
that are specific to such employers or
employees that the Agency should
consider? If your State has promulgated
standards or issued guidance on
emergency response and preparedness
that differs from the existing OSHA
standards and guidance, please describe
the action taken as well as the impact
and effect on the user community. Are
there any concerns specific to the State
agencies administering OSHA approved
safety and health plans regarding
OSHA’s consideration of action in this
area?
7. In States that do not have OSHAapproved workplace safety and health
plans, to what extent are OSHA
standards used as guidance for
emergency responders who are public
sector employees or as guidance for
voluntary State public sector protection
programs (e.g., personal protective
clothing and equipment, training, and
safety procedures)?
B. Personal Protective Equipment
Since a great deal of emergency
response work occurs in an
uncontrolled and dynamic work
environment, personal protective
equipment is a particularly important
aspect of assuring the responding
employees’ health and safety. This
section addresses a variety of types of
personal protective equipment that
emergency responders might use,
depending on the nature of the hazards
they face. The Agency is particularly
interested in determining appropriate
national consensus standards on the
design and construction of such
equipment as it considers the issue of
emergency response and preparedness.
8. The current OSHA standard for
firefighters’ protective clothing is based
upon the 1975 edition of ‘‘NFPA 1971,
Standard on Protective Ensemble for
Structural Fire Fighting.’’ The NFPA
standard specifies the minimum design,
performance, and certification
requirements, and test methods for
structural firefighting protective
ensembles that include protective coats,
protective trousers, protective coveralls,
helmets, gloves, footwear, and interface
components. The OSHA standard still
allows treated fabrics as an acceptable
outer shell material in firefighters’
protective clothing, rather than fabrics
that are inherently flame resistant. More
recent editions of NFPA 1971, recently
renamed the Standard on Protective
Ensemble for Structural Fire Fighting
and Proximity Fire Fighting, require the
use of fabrics that are inherently flame
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resistant. Inherently flame resistant
fabrics are made from fibers where the
flame resistance is an intrinsic property
of the material, whereas treated
materials are only made flame resistant
by the application of a secondary
chemical that can wear off or wash off
over time (Ex. 1–13). Is the 1975 edition
of NFPA 1971 still an appropriate
standard for firefighters’ protective
clothing? Is the current edition of the
NFPA standard, including the
requirement for inherently flame
resistant material, appropriate to
consider? Should OSHA consider other
standards, such as those issued by the
International Standards Organization
(ISO)?
9. With the exception of the shipyard
fire protection standard (29 CFR
1915.505), OSHA standards do not
require the use of a personal alert safety
system (PASS) device by firefighters in
order to help locate missing, trapped, or
incapacitated firefighters. Is such a
device necessary and appropriate for
firefighters’ safety in non-shipyard
situations? If so, under what
circumstances is it to be used? Is the
current edition of ‘‘NFPA 1982,
Standard on Personal Alert Safety
Systems (PASS)’’ an appropriate
standard to consider (Ex. 1–14)? This
standard specifies the NFPA minimum
design, performance, and certification
requirements and test methods for all
PASS to be used by firefighters and
other emergency services personnel who
engage in rescue, firefighting, and other
hazardous duties. Are there additional
features of a personnel accountability
system, other than these safety devices,
that should be an element of an
emergency response system? Are there
emergency response situations, other
than firefighting, that should necessitate
the use of a PASS device? Are
emergency responders at your
workplace provided with PASS devices?
What are the costs of PASS devices or
an alternate system? What is the
expected service life of such a device in
your work environment? Are there any
data on their effectiveness?
10. It has been OSHA policy to
enforce the use of ‘‘NFPA 1976,
Standard on Protective Ensemble for
Proximity Fire Fighting’’ compliant
protective clothing and equipment for
proximity firefighting (e.g., jet fuel fires)
(Standard Interpretations 04/03/1997—
Appropriate protective clothing for
aircraft firefighting) The NFPA 1976
standard has recently been subsumed in
the NFPA 1971 standard on firefighter’s
protective clothing (Ex. 1–13). This
standard contains the NFPA minimum
design, performance, and certification
requirements and the test methods for
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proximity protective ensembles,
including protective coats, protective
trousers, protective coveralls, helmets,
gloves, footwear, and interface
components. Does the NFPA 1971
standard adequately protect employees
performing such proximity firefighting
tasks? If not, what other standards
should OSHA consider?
11. Under the respiratory protection
standard (29 CFR 1910.134), OSHA
requires that all self-contained breathing
apparatus (SCBA) be certified by the
National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) (42 CFR part
84). Because NIOSH does not test SCBA
for exposure to heat and flame, is this
certification adequate? Would it be
appropriate for all SCBAs used for
firefighting or emergency response to be
certified by NIOSH and also certified as
compliant with the current edition of
‘‘NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
(SCBA) Emergency Services’’ (Ex. 1–15)?
NFPA 1981 specifies the minimum
requirements for the design,
performance, testing, and certification of
open-circuit SCBA and combination
open-circuit self-contained breathing
apparatus and supplied air respirators
(SCBA/SAR) for fire and emergency
services personnel and includes tests for
heat and flame resistance. NIOSH
requires this in its new Chemical,
Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear
(CBRN) certification (42 CFR part 84).
Are the SCBA currently used in your
workplace compliant with the NFPA
1981 standard?
12. Emergency response to weapons
of mass destruction such as chemical,
biological, radiological, or nuclear
(CBRN) agents has increasingly become
viewed as a component of a local
emergency response. The U.S.
Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) has adopted NIOSH and NFPA
standards for CBRN personal protective
equipment (PPE). For example, DHS
requires CBRN chemical protective
clothing to meet ‘‘NFPA 1994, Standard
on Protective Ensembles for CBRN
Terrorism Incidents’’ (Ex. 1–16). This
standard specifies the NFPA minimum
requirements for the design,
performance, testing, documentation,
and certification of protective ensembles
designed to protect fire and emergency
services personnel from chemical/
biological terrorism agents. These
standards provide more detailed and
stringent performance testing
requirements for PPE than the OSHA
Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR
1910.120), which requires only minimal
testing for chemical resistance and
garment integrity. Under what
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circumstances is protective clothing
tested to meet the NIOSH and NFPA
standards necessary (e.g., all emergency
responses, or emergency response to a
known or suspected CBRN agent, or
only during remediation or recovery)?
Similarly, the Department of Homeland
Security has adopted ‘‘NFPA 1991,
Standard on Vapor-Protective
Ensembles for Hazardous Materials
Emergencies’’ for use against toxic
industrial chemical (TICs) and toxic
industrial materials (TIMs) (Ex. 1–17).
Are there emergency response situations
that would necessitate the use of
chemical protective clothing that was
certified to NFPA chemical protective
clothing standards, which involves
more thorough testing than chemical
protective clothing currently specified
under the Hazardous Waste Operations
and Emergency Response Standard? Are
there any other standards on chemical
protective clothing that OSHA should
consider?
13. Emergency medical service
providers may be exposed to hazards
not common to other employees that
have exposure to blood or body fluids
(e.g., jagged metal or broken glass from
motor vehicle accidents). Currently,
OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard
(29 CFR 1910.1030) and respiratory
protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134)
require personal protective equipment
such as gloves, gowns, eye protection,
respirators, and surgical masks. Is there
any PPE for pre-hospital emergency
medical service personnel (EMS), not
currently required by the bloodborne
pathogens standard or the respiratory
protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134),
which may be necessary to protect EMS
employees (e.g., ‘‘NFPA 1999, Standard
on Protective Clothing for Emergency
Medical Operations’’) (Ex. 1–18)? NFPA
1999 specifies the NFPA minimum
design, performance, testing, and
certification requirements for emergency
medical clothing used by fire and EMS
personnel during EMS operations. Is
such equipment currently used in your
workplace? What would such PPE cost
and what is the expected life of the
equipment?
14. Is there any PPE for emergency
responders providing technical rescue
services (e.g., vehicle extrication, highangle rescue, swift-water rescue) that
may be necessary for protecting
employees providing such services? If
so, under what circumstances should
the use of such equipment be
considered necessary? Please describe
specific tasks and associated equipment
that OSHA should consider. What
would such PPE cost and what is the
expected life of the equipment?
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15. Employees performing urban
search and rescue (USAR) tasks may be
exposed to a variety of physical hazards
from building debris as well as
incidental exposure to thermal,
chemical, or biological hazards. The
Department of Homeland Security has
adopted ‘‘NFPA 1951, Standard on
Protective Ensemble for Technical
Rescue Incidents ’’ for emergency
responders conducting USAR
operations (Ex. 1–19). NFPA 1951
establishes the NFPA minimum
requirements for garments, head
protection, gloves, and footwear, for fire
and emergency services personnel
operating at technical rescue incidents
involving building or structural
collapse, vehicle/person extrication,
confined space entry, trench/cave-in
rescue, rope rescue, and similar
incidents. What PPE may be necessary
for protecting these emergency
responders? Is NFPA 1951 an
appropriate standard for OSHA to
consider on the subject? Are there other
standards that OSHA should consider?
What equipment is being used currently
in your workplace? What does the PPE
cost, and how many responders are
equipped with it? What is the expected
life of the equipment?
16. Is there any other PPE, not already
identified, that may be necessary for
emergency responders or skilled
support personnel? What is the
equipment, what would it cost, and how
many responders would need to be
equipped with it? What is the expected
life of the equipment?
C. Training and Qualifications
The knowledge, skills and abilities of
emergency responders and skilled
support employees will depend largely
on the training and qualifications for
required work tasks. Training and
qualifications typically include both
initial training as well as any periodic
training (e.g., annual refresher training)
that may be necessary to maintain an
appropriate level of functional
capability.
17. The OSHA Fire Brigade standard
(29 CFR 1910.156(c)) contains broadly
worded requirements on training and
education and requires the quality of
such training to be ‘‘similar to’’ a
number of State fire training schools. Is
this standard adequate to ensure
firefighters are appropriately trained to
perform required tasks safely? If not,
what level of initial training and
qualification is necessary to safely
perform fire fighting tasks? Is ‘‘NFPA
1001, Standard for Fire Fighter
Professional Qualifications’’ an
appropriate standard to consider (Ex. 1–
20)? NFPA 1001 identifies the minimum
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job performance requirements for two
levels of progression of firefighters
whose duties are primarily structural in
nature. Are there other standards or
recommendations that OSHA should
consider? What amount and type of
periodic refresher training should be
considered the minimum necessary for
firefighters? What is the appropriate
format for acquiring this training? What
are the training practices in your
workplace?
18. The U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT), National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), develops the National
Standard Curricula for all levels of EMS
personnel. What level of initial
occupational health and safety training
and qualification is necessary to safely
perform emergency medical services?
Are there any additional initial training
requirements beyond the NHTSA
standards appropriate for OSHA to
consider (e.g., training on emergency
vehicle operation or incident scene
safety)? What amount and type of
periodic refresher training is necessary
for EMS personnel? What are the
current training practices in your
workplace?
19. OSHA does not currently require
any specific training for rescue
technicians. What level of initial
training and qualification is necessary to
safely perform technical rescue tasks? Is
‘‘NFPA 1006, Standard for Rescue
Technician Professional Qualifications’’
an appropriate standard to consider (Ex.
1–21)? NFPA 1006 establishes the NFPA
minimum requirements necessary for
fire service and other emergency
response personnel who perform
technical rescue operations. These
include rope rescue, surface water
rescue, vehicle and machinery rescue,
confined space rescue, structural
collapse rescue, and trench rescue. Are
there other standards or
recommendations that OSHA should
consider? What amount and type of
annual refresher training should be
considered the minimum necessary for
such emergency responders? What is the
appropriate format for acquiring this
training (e.g., does this require travel to
a specialized training facility)? What are
the current training practices in your
workplace?
20. Skilled support work at
emergency incidents is work that is not
performed by an emergency responder
(e.g., firefighter or EMS provider) but is
nonetheless a critical element of a safe
and successful emergency response,
such as heavy equipment operation,
utility shut-off, and cutting and removal
of iron work. The role of skilled support
employees at emergency incidents is
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only directly addressed in the
Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard
(HAZWOPER) (29 CFR 1910.120),
which does not apply to all types of
emergency incidents. The standard
requires skilled support employees that
are needed on a temporary basis for
immediate emergency support work to
be given an initial briefing on necessary
information but does not require them
to receive the full training provisions of
the standard (29 CFR 1910.120(q)(4)).
What level of initial training and
qualification is necessary to safely
perform skilled support jobs? Should
specific training for skilled support
personnel, other than the initial
briefing, be considered? Should
refresher training on an annual or other
basis for such responders be
considered? The OSHA Training
Institute has developed a 16-hour
Disaster Site Worker Course (#7600)
which emphasizes knowledge,
precautions and personal protection
essential to maintaining an employee’s
personal safety and health at a disaster
site. Should skilled support personnel
take the OSHA Disaster Site Worker
training course, or something similar,
before responding to a disaster or is justin-time training sufficient and
appropriate? What are the current
training practices in your workplace?
21. OSHA standards do not address
the training or qualifications for either
emergency responders who operate
emergency apparatus or those personnel
who may have to work on an active
roadway during an emergency response
(e.g., responding to a car crash). Traffic
accidents involving emergency
apparatus, as well as incidents where
emergency responders are struck by
passing vehicles at incident scenes,
constitute a major source of injuries for
emergency responders (Ex. 1–22). Is
there any training or qualifications on
emergency vehicle safety or incident
scene safety (e.g., ‘‘NFPA 1002,
Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver/
Operator Professional Qualifications’’)
that should be considered for emergency
responders as a whole or for individual
groups of emergency responders, such
as emergency vehicle drivers (Ex. 1–23)?
What is the appropriate format for
acquiring this training? What are the
current training practices in your
workplace?
22. The Hazardous Waste Operations
and Emergency Response Standard (29
CFR 1910.120), which does not apply to
all types of emergency incidents,
requires that incident commanders have
specialized training beyond that of other
employees. However, the Fire Brigade
standard (29 CFR 1910.156) does not
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require any additional or specialized
training for fire officers that will manage
or supervise the emergency response
incident. Should the training and
qualifications for fire officers be
different than for firefighters? If so, what
level of training is appropriate for
officers? Is ‘‘NFPA 1021, Standard for
Fire Officer Professional
Qualifications,’’ an appropriate standard
to consider in evaluating this issue (Ex.
1–24)? NFPA 1021 identifies the
performance requirements necessary to
perform the duties of a fire officer and
specifically identifies four levels of
training that progress with increasing
rank and increasing responsibility. Are
there other standards or
recommendations OSHA should
consider? What are the current training
practices in your workplace?
23. OSHA’s Fire Brigade standard (29
CFR 1910.156) does not distinguish
between industrial fire brigades and
other types of fire departments that may
respond to a wider range of emergency
incidents at a variety of locations.
Should the minimum training and
qualifications for industrial fire brigade
members be different than for other
firefighters? If so, what is an appropriate
training standard for OSHA to consider
(e.g., ‘‘NFPA 1081, Standard for
Industrial Fire Brigade Member
Professional Qualifications’’) (Ex. 1–25)?
NFPA 1081 identifies the NFPA
minimum job performance requirements
necessary to carry out the duties of an
individual who is a member of an
organized industrial fire brigade
providing services at a specific facility
or site. Are there other standards or
recommendations for fire brigades
OSHA should consider? What are the
current training practices in your
workplace?
24. During an emergency response the
Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR
1910.120), which does not cover all
emergency incidents, requires that the
individual in charge of the incident
command system (ICS) designate a
safety official. The safety official has the
authority to alter, suspend, or terminate
any activities that are deemed to be an
imminent danger to employees. The
Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard does not
establish minimum training and
qualifications for a safety official, but
the person must be knowledgeable in
the operations being implemented and
able to identify and evaluate hazards
with respect to the operational safety.
While the Hazardous Waste Operations
and Emergency Response Standard uses
the term ‘‘safety official,’’ the National
Response Plan (NRP) and National
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Incident Management System (NIMS)
use the term ‘‘safety officer.’’ In
practical application, is there a
distinction between these two
individuals or do they essentially
perform the same function? The NIMS
describes the duties and functions of the
safety officer at an emergency incident
as monitoring incident operations and
advising the Incident Commander on all
matters relating to operational safety,
including the health and safety of
emergency responder personnel. The
NIMS also does not specify the
minimum training and qualifications to
assume the role of safety officer. What
are the minimum training and
qualifications that a safety officer needs?
Aside from responsibilities at an
emergency incident, should a safety
officer have a role in the management of
an emergency response and
preparedness program? If so, what
should be a safety officer’s nonemergency duties and functions and
how would they relate to emergency
response and preparedness?
25. Recently, there has been a greater
emphasis on assuring continuity of
incident management from the local and
state responder level to the national
level at incidents of national
significance managed under the
National Response Plan (e.g., large
natural disasters). What training at the
state and local level, if any, is necessary
to facilitate seamless emergency
operations at a joint field office (JFO) or
area field office (AFO)?
26. What is the best way for OSHA to
specify training for a given emergency
response role? For example:
• By specifying a minimum number
of hours of training;
• By specifying training content
based on job tasks;
• By specifying that training be
adequate to demonstrate specified
competencies;
• By a combination of these methods;
or
• By some other method.
Additionally, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency has been working
on a national credentialing system to
verify training and qualifications.
Should the Agency consider
credentialing systems in its evaluation
of training and qualifications?
D. Medical Evaluation/Health
Monitoring
Emergency responders work in an
environment where they may be
exposed to a variety of physical,
chemical, or biological hazards. The
personal protective clothing and
equipment that they use, as well as the
inherent nature of their work, can pose
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51741
an additional physiologic burden on
emergency responders. Medical
evaluation and health monitoring is an
important factor in assuring the health
and safety of emergency responders.
27. OSHA requires that hepatitis B
vaccinations be made available to
employees potentially occupationally
exposed to blood or other body fluids in
its bloodborne pathogen standard (29
CFR 1910.1030). Are other vaccinations
necessary for emergency responders? If
so, which vaccinations? What would
these vaccinations cost? Would they
need to be repeated at some point?
Would they be recommended for all
emergency responders or a particular
subset? What are the current vaccination
practices in your workplace?
28. There are currently available
vaccinations for anthrax and smallpox,
and other vaccinations could be
developed in the future for diseases
such as hepatitis C. Employers can
determine, based upon their own risk
assessment, if such vaccines are
necessary and should be offered to their
employees. If vaccines other than the
hepatitis B vaccination are determined
by the employer to be necessary for
emergency responders, should OSHA
consider non-disease specific
administrative and recordkeeping
procedures similar to those required for
the hepatitis B vaccine (29 CFR
1910.1030(f))? These procedures could
include requirements that the vaccine
be made available at no cost to the
employee, available to the employee at
a reasonable time and place, and subject
to appropriate medical screening. Are
there any elements of an assessment
process that should be implemented
before an employer can determine that
a vaccine is necessary, for example, a
determination by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices
(ACIP) or other appropriate medical
recommendation?
29. Medical evaluations for
emergency responders are currently
regulated under the Fire Brigade (29
CFR 1910.156), Respiratory Protection
(29 CFR 1910.134), and Hazardous
Waste Operations and Emergency
Response (29 CFR 1910.120) standards.
The Fire Brigade Standard requires that
employers not permit employees with
known heart disease, epilepsy, or
emphysema to perform emergency
response work unless approved by a
physician. The respiratory protection
standard requires that a physician or
other licensed health care professional
evaluate an employees’ ability to use a
respirator. Such an evaluation may
consist solely of a medical
questionnaire. The Hazardous Waste
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Operations and Emergency Response
Standard has more extensive
requirements for an annual medical
evaluation. Is ‘‘NFPA 1582,
Comprehensive Occupational Medical
Program for Fire Departments’’ an
appropriate medical evaluation for
firefighters (Ex. 1–26)? NFPA 1582
contains descriptive requirements for a
comprehensive occupational medical
program to ensure that fire department
members are medically capable of
performing their required duties. Are
there other medical evaluation
standards that are appropriate for either
firefighters or emergency responders
who perform tasks other than
firefighting? For emergency responders
who do not perform firefighting tasks,
what elements of a medical evaluation
are necessary to assure that they are
physically capable of performing
essential job tasks while wearing an
array of possibly physically burdensome
personal protective clothing and
equipment? How often should a medical
evaluation for emergency responders be
conducted? Please address the following
types of medical evaluation: Preplacement, return-to-work, annual
fitness for duty evaluation, and periodic
medical surveillance. What is the cost to
the employer of these recommended
medical evaluations for emergency
responders? How is the medical
evaluation of emergency responders
addressed in your workplace?
30. The physiologic burden caused by
performing emergency response
activities and wearing PPE can be
extreme (e.g., over-exertion, heat stress
or dehydration). Additionally,
cardiovascular fatalities represent a
large percentage of firefighters’ fatalities.
Is on-scene rehabilitation and providing
appropriate assistance (e.g., monitoring
workers’ temperature, blood pressure,
hydration levels) an appropriate method
of preventing or reducing the number of
these injuries and fatalities? Is ‘‘NFPA
1584, Rehabilitation of Members
Operating at Incident Scene Operations
and Training Exercises’’ an appropriate
standard for such practices (Ex. 1–27)?
NFPA 1584 describes recommended
practices for developing and
implementing an incident scene
rehabilitation program, including:
Medical evaluations, re-hydration, and
protection from environmental
conditions. Are there other methods of
protection that are available, such as
adjusting work/rest regimens or
physical training? Are there other
standards or recommendations that
OSHA should consider? Should
defibrillators (either a defibrillator or an
automated external defibrillator (AED))
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be available at emergency incident
scenes in case an emergency responder
or skilled support worker has a cardiac
event? Do you currently have a
defibrillator or AED at emergency
events?
E. Safety
The safety of emergency responders
and skilled support employees is
affected by the employer’s policies and
procedures established to govern
emergency response operations. Also,
the tools and equipment used by
emergency responders may affect their
ability to detect and monitor hazards as
well as communicate those hazards to
others at the emergency scene.
31. The use of an incident
management system as a means to
assure the health and safety of
employees is required by the OSHA
Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR
1910.120) for emergency response to
hazardous materials incidents and
OSHA’s Fire Brigades in Shipyards
standard (29 CFR 1915.505). Is an
incident management system
appropriate for managing all other
emergency incidents?
32. The NIMS specifies that a unified
command structure be employed for all
employees at an incident when there are
multiple jurisdictions and agencies
involved. Since each employer is
responsible for the health and safety of
his or her employees at emergency
incidents and may affect the safety and
health of other employers’ employees,
how can a safety management structure
be developed that incorporates a multiemployer response that is commanded
within a single incident command
system for all types of incidents?
33. The NIMS describes the duties
and functions of the safety officer at an
emergency incident. However, the NIMS
does not address non-emergency
functions for the safety officer that may
be necessary to assure the health and
safety of emergency responders and
skilled support personnel when an
emergency does occur (e.g., assuring
training requirements are met, assuring
that protective clothing and equipment
is adequately maintained, or reviewing
and updating standard operating
procedures). What are the nonemergency duties and functions that are
necessary to assure the proper
management of an emergency response
and preparedness program? Is a
designated safety program manager or
administrator needed?
34. Do emergency responders need
hazard detection and monitoring
equipment capabilities, such as 4-gas
monitors, thermal imaging cameras, or
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chemical, biological, and radiological
detection equipment? If so, for each type
of job task what abilities and equipment
are needed? How much would these
devices typically cost to own and
operate? What are the devices’ expected
service life?
35. Should emergency response
organizations establish written standard
operating procedures (SOPs) or standard
operating guidelines (SOGs) for
expected emergency response activities?
If so, what types of issues should be
addressed in the SOPs or SOGs? How
should employers determine what
activities are within the expected range
of operations and what activities might
be outside the range of expected
planning? How should employers plan
and prepare for special hazards within
their area of operations (e.g., high-rise
buildings, industrial facilities, or openpit mines)?
36. How can communication at
emergency incidents be maintained? Is
a certain type of communications
hardware, such as radio systems, or
handheld radios, needed by all
emergency responders? What training in
communications is needed? Is there
evidence that portable radios are
necessary for either each individual
emergency responder or each team of
emergency responders? If new
equipment and training would be
necessary, how much would they cost?
37. The Hazardous Waste Operations
and Emergency Response Standard (29
CFR 1910.120) gives the incident
commander broad authority in
managing risk by determining the scope
of operations possible at a given
incident. The ‘‘two in/two out’’
provision of the Respiratory Protection
Standard (29 CFR 1910.134 (g)(4)) for
interior structural firefighting implies,
but does not directly address, the
concept of risk management. How can
OSHA more thoroughly address the
concept of risk management at
emergency incidents? What guidance
should be given in weighing the health
and safety of emergency responders
against victim’s lives, against property
loss, or in situations where concerns
about immediate safety may have
negative consequences for long-term
health, such as lung damage? How
should risk management guidelines
address the various phases of an
emergency response from rescue,
incident stabilization, through
remediation/recovery? How does your
workplace address the concept of risk
management during emergency
response and preparedness activities?
38. Are there specific features of an
occupational health and safety program
not addressed in previous questions that
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are necessary for emergency responder
health and safety (e.g., any elements
contained in ‘‘NFPA 1500, Fire
Department Occupational Safety and
Health Program’’ such as life-safety rope
systems) (Ex. 1–28)? NFPA 1500
provides the NFPA requirements for a
fire service occupational safety and
health program for fire departments.
The Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR
1910.120(b)) requires that employers
develop and implement a written safety
and health program for their employees
involved in hazardous waste operations
(e.g., safety and health training, medical
surveillance, necessary interface
between general program and site
specific activities). Would a health and
safety program similar to that required
in 29 CFR 1910.120(b) be appropriate
for emergency response activities?
39. Are there any other issues or
concerns related to the health or safety
of all emergency responders, or any
particular group of emergency
responders, that should be considered?
Are there any issues related to the
health and safety of skilled support
personnel at emergency incidents that
should be considered?
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F. Additional Information
40. In addition to the specific
questions above, the Agency is seeking
general information on the cost of safety
and health measures undertaken by
municipal emergency response agencies
(e.g., fire departments) and any other
first responders or skilled support
employees. From what levels of
government are revenues derived to
support emergency response and
preparedness? What other sources of
revenue are available? How are
increased costs of operation dealt with
(e.g., reduction in service, increase in
response time, or increased revenue
sources)? How are these issues different
for smaller emergency response
operations or rural areas than for larger
or mid-sized operations? How often are
emergency response operations
contracted out to specialists, either by
companies or communities?
41. Are there any existing OSHA
standards, guidelines, or
recommendations that, when viewed in
conjunction with other Federal, State or
local codes and/or the recommendation
of consensus standards organizations
such as, but not limited to NFPA, ANSI
or ASTM, create conflict or uncertainty
in the practice of emergency
responding, safety and health planning,
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in the selection of protective equipment,
in the procurement of emergency
response equipment, or in the provision
of training? If so, what could OSHA do
to remedy these situations?
III. Public Participation
You may submit comments in
response to this document by (1) hard
copy, (2) fax transmission (facsimile), or
(3) electronically through the Federal
Rulemaking Portal. Because of securityrelated problems, there may be a
significant delay in the receipt of
comments by regular mail. Contact the
OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693–2350
for information about security
procedures concerning the delivery of
materials by express delivery, hand
delivery and messenger service.
All comments and submissions are
available for inspection and copying at
the OSHA Docket Office at the above
address. Comments and submissions are
also available at https://
www.regulations.gov. OSHA cautions
you about submitting personal
information such as social security
numbers and birth dates. Contact the
OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693–2350
for information about accessing
materials in the docket.
Electronic copies of this Federal
Register notice, as well as news releases
and other relevant documents, are
available at OSHA’s Web page: https://
www.osha.gov/.
IV. Authority and Signature
This document was prepared under
the direction of Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health, U.S.
Department of Labor. It is issued
pursuant to sections 4, 6, and 8 of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act of
1970 (29 U.S.C. 653, 655, 657), 29 CFR
1911, and Secretary’s Order 5–2002 (67
FR 65008).
Signed at Washington, DC, this 4th day of
September, 2007.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational
Safety and Health.
Table of Exhibits
1–1
Emergency Response and Preparedness
Request for Information
1–2 Fire Fighter Fatalities in the United
States in 2003, U.S. Fire Administration
Report FA–283, August 2004
1–3 NFPA Report: Fire Loss in the United
States During 2002 and U.S. Fire
Department Profile Through 2002)
1–4 U.S. Fire Administration, A Needs
Assessment of the U.S. Fire Service,
PO 00000
Frm 00025
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
51743
(USFA Report FA–240, December 2002
authorized by U.S. Public Law 106–398,
Sec. 33(b))
1–5 U.S. Fire Administration and the
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation,
Firefighter Life Safety Summit Initial
Report (April 2004)
1–6 NIOSH/RAND Protecting Emergency
Responders: Lessons Learned from
Terrorist Attacks; Protecting Emergency
Responders
1–7 NIOSH / RAND Volume 2: Community
Views of Safety and Health Risks and
Personal Protection Needs
1–8 NIOSH / RAND Volume 3: Safety
Management in Disaster and Terrorism
Response
1–9 Homeland Security Presidential
Directive #8 (HSPD#8)
1–10 The National Incident Management
System (NIMS)
1–11 Homeland Security Presidential
Directive #5 (HSPD#5)
1–12 National Response Plan
1–13 NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective
Ensemble for Structural Fire Fighting
and Proximity Fire Fighting
1–14 NFPA 1982, Standard on Personal
Alert Safety Systems (PASS)
1–15 NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
(SCBA) Emergency Services
1–16 NFPA 1994, Standard on Protective
Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN
Terrorism Incidents
1–17 NFPA 1991, Standard on VaporProtective Ensembles for Hazardous
Materials Emergencies
1–18 NFPA 1999, Standard on Protective
Clothing for Emergency Medical
Operations
1–19 NFPA 1951, Standard on Protective
Ensemble for Technical Rescue Incidents
1–20 NFPA 1001, Standard for Fire Fighter
Professional Qualifications
1–21 NFPA 1006, Standard for Rescue
Technician Professional Qualifications
1–22 U.S. Fire Administration, Firefighter
Fatality Retrospective Study. April 2002
FA–220
1–23 NFPA 1002, Standard for Fire
Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional
Qualifications
1–24 NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer
Professional Qualifications
1–25 NFPA 1081, Standard for Industrial
Fire Brigade Member Professional
Qualifications
1–26 NFPA 1582, Comprehensive
Occupational Medical Program for Fire
Departments
1–27 NFPA 1584, Rehabilitation of
Members Operating at Incident Scene
Operations and Training Exercises
1–28 NFPA 1500, Fire Department
Occupational Safety and Health Program
[FR Doc. E7–17771 Filed 9–10–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–26–P
E:\FR\FM\11SEP1.SGM
11SEP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 175 (Tuesday, September 11, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 51735-51743]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-17771]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
29 CFR Part 1910
[Docket No. H-010]
RIN 1218-AC17
Emergency Response and Preparedness
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
Department of Labor.
ACTION: Request for information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Elements of emergency responder health and safety are
currently regulated by OSHA primarily under the following standards:
The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard; the
personal protective equipment general requirements standard; the
respiratory protection standard; the permit-required confined space
standard; the fire brigade standard; and the bloodborne pathogens
standard. Some of these standards were promulgated decades ago, and
none was designed as a comprehensive emergency response standard.
Consequently, they do not address the full range of hazards or concerns
currently facing emergency responders, nor do they reflect major
changes in performance specifications for protective clothing and
equipment. Current OSHA standards also do not reflect all the major
improvements in safety and health practices that have already been
accepted by the emergency response community and incorporated into
industry consensus standards.
OSHA is requesting information and comment from the public to
evaluate what action, if any, the Agency should take to further address
emergency response and preparedness. The Agency will be considering
emergency response and preparedness at common emergencies (e.g., fires
or emergency medical and other rescue situations), as well as large
scale emergencies (e.g., natural and intentional disasters). OSHA's
areas of interest are primarily: personal protective equipment;
training and qualifications; medical evaluation and health monitoring;
and safety management. The agency will also be evaluating the types of
personnel who would constitute either emergency responders or skilled
support employees at such events, as well as the range of activities
that might constitute emergency response and preparedness.
DATES: Comments must be submitted by the following dates:
Hard copy: Your comments must be submitted (postmarked or sent) by
December 10, 2007.
Facsimile and electronic transmission: Your comments must be sent
by December 10, 2007.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, requests for hearings and
additional materials by any of the following methods:
Electronically: You may submit comments, requests for hearings, and
attachments electronically at https://www.regulations.gov, which is the
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions on-line for making
electronic submissions.
Fax: If your submissions, including attachments, are not longer
than 10 pages, you may fax them to the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-
1648.
Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger or courier service:
You must submit three copies of your comments, requests for hearings
and attachments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. S-023B, U.S.
Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Washington, DC 20210. Deliveries (hand, express mail, messenger and
courier service) are accepted during the Department of Labor's and
Docket Office's normal business hours, 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m., e.t.
Instructions: All submissions must include the Agency name and the
OSHA docket number for this rulemaking (OSHA Docket No. S-023B).
Submissions, including any personal information you provide, are placed
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at
https://www.regulations.gov.
Docket: To read or download submissions or other material in the
docket, go to https://www.regulations.gov or the OSHA Docket Office at
the address above. All documents in the
[[Page 51736]]
docket are listed in the https://www.regulations.gov index, however,
some information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available
to read or download through the Web site. All submissions, including
copyrighted material, are available for inspection and copying at the
OSHA Docket Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Press Inquiries: Kevin Ropp, Director,
OSHA Office of Communications, Room N-3647, U.S. Department of Labor,
200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202)
693-1999.
General and Technical Information: Carol Jones, Acting Director,
Office of Biological Hazards, OSHA Directorate of Standards and
Guidance, Room N-3718, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210; telephone: (202) 693-2299.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Table of Contents
I. Background
II. Request for Data, Information and Comments
A. The Scope of Emergency Response
B. Personal Protective Equipment
C. Training and Qualifications
D. Medical Evaluation and Health Monitoring
E. Safety
F. Additional Information
III. Public Participation
IV. Authority and Signature
I. Background
There were more than 21 million emergency response incidents in
2002 (see Table 1). Emergency responders include: Firefighters,
emergency medical service personnel, hazardous material employees, and
technical rescue specialists. Law enforcement officers are also usually
considered emergency responders and are often called to assist in
emergency response incidents. OSHA notes, however, that it has not
promulgated standards specifically addressing occupational hazards that
are inherently and uniquely related to law enforcement activities. Many
emergency responders are cross-trained and may serve in multiple roles
depending upon the nature of the emergency incident. The hazards that
emergency responders face will also vary depending upon the type of
incident. In addition to emergency responders, skilled support
employees can also play an important role in emergency response.
Skilled support employees are not emergency responders, but nonetheless
have specialized training that can be important to the safe and
successful resolution of an emergency incident, such as operating heavy
equipment or shutting down electrical power or natural gas.
Emergency response, which includes firefighting, is one of the most
hazardous occupations in America. The United States Fire Administration
has recently reported that 111 firefighters died in 2003, and that, on
average, 100 firefighters have died each year for the last ten years
(excluding the fatalities attributable to the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001) (Ex. 1-2). Furthermore, the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) reported that during the 10-year period
of 1993-2002, approximately 594,000 firefighters were injured in the
line of duty at emergency response incidents. The average annual rate
of firefighter injuries is more than 59,000 per year for this period
(Ex. 1-2).
Table 1.--Distribution of 2002 U.S. Emergency Incidents as Reported by
the National Fire Protection Association
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Emergency response Number
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fires................................................... 1,687,500
Medical Aid............................................. 12,903,000
False Alarms............................................ 2,116,000
Mutual Aid/Assistance................................... 888,500
Hazmat.................................................. 361,000
Other Hazardous (Arcing wires, bomb removal, etc.)...... 603,500
All Other (Smoke scares, lock-outs, etc.)............... 2,744,000
---------------
Total............................................... 21,303,500
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Source: Ex. 1-3)
While the preceding statistics concern firefighters, this Request
for Information is intended to gather information about all emergency
responders and skilled support employees. However, injury and illness
rates for other facets of emergency response are difficult to determine
due to the multiple roles of some responders (e.g., many firefighters
are also EMTs) and a lack of specific data (e.g., injury and illness
rates of skilled support employees, such as heavy equipment operators,
arising directly from emergency response activities). OSHA is
interested in receiving information about the number and types of
responder fatalities, injuries, and illnesses incurred during emergency
incidents.
A recent report by the U.S. Fire Administration, A Needs Assessment
of the U.S. Fire Service, examined the condition of the fire service
and its ability to respond to incidents, both large and small (Ex. 1-
4). The report found that fire departments of all sizes have unmet
needs relating to both their traditional firefighting responsibilities
and their new homeland security-related responsibilities. In addition,
another report by the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation, Firefighter Life Safety Summit Initial Report,
found that there are many significant health and safety concerns among
the fire service (Ex. 1-5). The report recognized the need for national
standards on training, qualifications, medical and physical fitness, as
well as for emergency response policies and procedures. A series of
three joint reports by the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) and the RAND Corporation (RAND) have also recognized
a need for further standards in order to improve the operational
response to terrorist attacks and better protect the health and safety
of emergency responders (Protecting Emergency Responders: Lessons
Learned from Terrorist Attacks; Protecting Emergency Responders (Ex. 1-
6); Volume 2: Community Views of Safety and Health Risks and Personal
Protection Needs; and Protecting Emergency Responders (Ex. 1-7); Volume
3: Safety Management in Disaster and Terrorism Response (Ex. 1-8)).
Furthermore, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101) and
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD8),
which were established to strengthen the preparedness of the United
States to prevent and respond to threatened or actual domestic
terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies, have changed
the Federal approach to emergency response and preparedness
capabilities at Federal, State, and local entities (Ex. 1-9). In March
of 2004, the Department of Homeland Security published the National
Incident Management System (NIMS) (Ex. 1-10). This system provides a
consistent nationwide approach for Federal, State, local and tribal
governments to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare
for, prevent, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents,
regardless of cause, size, or complexity. Homeland Security
Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD5) requires all Federal
agencies to implement NIMS, and also requires Federal agencies to make
the NIMS a required element for receiving State and local preparedness
grant funding (Ex. 1-11). Additionally, in January 2005, the Department
of Homeland Security released the National Response Plan (NRP), which
establishes a comprehensive all-hazards approach to enhance the ability
of the United States to manage domestic
[[Page 51737]]
incidents (Ex. 1-12). The NRP incorporates best practices and
procedures from incident management disciplines--homeland security,
emergency management, law enforcement, firefighting, public works,
public health, responder and recovery worker health and safety,
emergency medical services, and the private sector--and integrates them
into a unified structure. The NRP forms the basis of how Federal
departments and agencies will work together and how the Federal
government will coordinate with State, local, and tribal governments
and the private sector during incidents. In addition, the NRP
establishes protocols that are applicable to emergency responders and
skilled support employees in order to help protect the nation from
terrorist attacks and other natural and manmade hazards; save lives;
protect public health, safety, property, and the environment; and
reduce adverse psychological consequences and disruptions to the
American way of life.
OSHA addresses the elements of emergency responder health and
safety primarily by the following OSHA standards: The hazardous waste
operations and emergency response standard (29 CFR 1910.120); the
personal protective equipment general requirements standard (29 CFR
1910.132); the respiratory protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134); the
permit-required confined space standard (29 CFR 1910.146); the fire
brigade standard (29 CFR 1910.156); and the bloodborne pathogens
standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). These standards were designed to address
the health and safety needs of employees over a broad cross-section of
industries and workplaces. None of these standards was designed as a
comprehensive emergency response standard, and as a result, specific
hazards are addressed in a piecemeal manner, and important concepts in
emergency management are not addressed at all.
In addition, the OSHA standards do not address the full range of
hazards or concerns currently facing emergency responders. Some of
these standards rely on outdated performance specifications for
protective equipment. For example, the current standard on
firefighters' protective clothing is based on the 1975 edition of the
NFPA 1971 standard. Current OSHA standards do not reflect many of the
major developments in safety and health practices that have already
been accepted by the emergency response community and incorporated into
the consensus standards promulgated by the NFPA and other standards
development organizations. For example, the use of an incident
management system is currently required only by the Hazardous Waste
Operations and Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR 1910.120). While the
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard does cover
hazardous materials incidents, it does not cover most types of
emergency incidents (e.g., fires, technical rescue, structural collapse
or natural disasters).
In addition, coverage issues impact the Agency's activities in
these areas. Many emergency responders are state and local government
employees who are covered by requirements in State or local laws,
either under the authority of an OSHA-approved state plan or through
voluntarily established State protection programs rather than under
Federal rules. In the case of the Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard, State and local employees in States
without an OSHA-approved plan are also covered under an Environmental
Protection Agency standard (40 CFR 311) that incorporates the OSHA
requirements by reference.
State and local government employees are excluded from OSHA
coverage under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the
``OSH Act''). However, pursuant to Section 18 of the OSH Act, there are
26 States and territories operating their own workplace safety and
health programs under plans approved by OSHA (``State plans''), which
are required to extend their coverage to public sector (State and local
government) employees and employers in those jurisdictions, including
many emergency responders.
The 21 States and one territory covering both private sector and
State and local government employment have primary responsibility for
the OSHA program in their jurisdictions. All State plans, including the
4 covering only State and local government, are responsible for
adopting and enforcing standards which are ``at least as effective as''
Federal OSHA standards, and for providing compliance assistance to
employers and employees under their jurisdiction. Some State plans have
adopted different or supplemental standards or guidance regarding
emergency response and preparedness that exceed the existing Federal
OSHA standards. Some States have established public employer employee
protection programs without OSHA State Plan approval and funding. Many
other public sector employers still rely on the OSHA standards as an
important guide in safety and health matters, even though they are not
legally required to do so.
OSHA has significant experience and expertise on matters related to
emergency responder health and safety. OSHA personnel, as well as
personnel from the OSHA-approved State plans, routinely respond to
emergencies to provide technical assistance and assure employee safety.
Following the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on September
11, 2001, OSHA helped establish a strong and effective public-private
partnership to help ensure protection for the employees at the site. At
the national level, the Department of Labor, OSHA, has been designated
the coordinating agency for employee safety and health under the
National Response Plan (NRP). Additionally, many of the OSHA-approved
State plans are working to establish a parallel role within their State
emergency response structure and have implemented or assisted in the
development of emergency preparedness and homeland security related
initiatives and guidance materials at the State level.
The Agency has developed a wide range of technical assistance and
guidance documents about the issue of emergency response as well as
emergency responder health and safety (https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/
emergencypreparedness/). The OSHA Training Institute offers a
variety of courses on topics essential to the safety and health of both
uniformed emergency responders and skilled support employees (https://
www.osha.gov/dcsp/ote/). In addition, OSHA, in collaboration
with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS),
has developed a pre-event hazards awareness course for Disaster Site
Workers who may respond as skilled support employees to natural or man-
made emergencies (e.g., heavy equipment operators, construction
workers, and electrical power or natural gas utility employees). This
course is taught by OSHA Training Institute Education Centers and OSHA-
authorized trainers.
On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast of
the southeastern United States; the City of New Orleans was
particularly affected. The emergency response to Hurricane Katrina
underscored the importance of planning and preparedness, as well as the
multidisciplinary nature of emergency response. OSHA expects that the
lessons learned from this incident will be represented in the responses
to this Request for Information alongside the lessons learned from both
more common events as well as other events of national significance.
[[Page 51738]]
OSHA is requesting information and comment from the public to
evaluate what action, if any, the Agency should take to further address
emergency response and preparedness.
II. Request for Data, Information and Comments
The following questions have been provided to facilitate the
collection of the needed information and to make it easier for the
public to comment on relevant issues. The questions are grouped into
five broad categories: The scope of emergency response; personal
protective equipment; training and qualifications; medical evaluation
and health monitoring; and safety. However, commenters are encouraged
to address any aspect of emergency response and preparedness that they
feel would assist the Agency in considering appropriate action on the
matter. The Agency is particularly interested in ways to incorporate
flexibility into its standards to make them more suited to the demands
of emergency response activities. A detailed response to questions, as
well as your rationale or reasoning for the position, rather than
simply replying ``yes'' or ``no,'' is requested. Also, relevant data
that may be useful to OSHA's deliberations, or in conducting an
analysis of impacts of future Agency actions, should be submitted. In
order to assess the costs, benefits or feasibility of any possible
regulatory intervention, the Agency needs specific quantitative
information on various safety measures being discussed. Therefore, for
those instances where you recommend a specific intervention, any data
in terms of costs and benefits that helps form the recommendation would
be valuable. The usefulness of your response will be increased if they
are tied to the categories and sections. Please label your responses
with the lettered category and question number.
A. The Scope of Emergency Response
The terms ``emergency response'' and ``emergency responder'' have
been defined and used differently in various government laws and
regulations as well as industry consensus standards and reports.
Additionally, emergency response work is unlike many other types of
employment, in that the actual work site and hazards will vary based
upon the location and nature of the incident. As the Agency considers
the issue of emergency response, it is important to define the scope
and nature of work activities that might be called emergency response
and preparedness, as well as the types of employees and work activities
that might be associated with emergency response and preparedness.
1. Emergency response and preparedness activities occur at both
common incidents (e.g., fires, car accidents, or structural collapses)
and rare or unexpected incidents (e.g., natural disasters, terrorist
attacks, or special events that require enhanced preparedness). If the
Agency takes action on emergency response and preparedness, should it
consider either all types of emergency incidents (e.g., both common and
rare events) or should certain types of incidents be excluded? If you
believe a limited range is appropriate, what types of incidents or
activities should be included or excluded?
2. Emergency response and preparedness activities have historically
included a range of events from pre-planning for an emergency, to the
actual emergency response, and, ultimately, to remediation/recovery.
Should OSHA consider the full continuum of activities to be considered
``emergency response and preparedness''? If not, what is an appropriate
range of activities for the Agency to consider, and why?
3. What are the factors that should indicate when the emergency
response to an event has fully transitioned into remediation/recovery?
4. What types of work tasks (e.g., interior structural
firefighting, exterior firefighting, pre-hospital emergency medical
work, technical rescue, heavy equipment operation) should be considered
emergency response or skilled support work? What are the hazards
associated with each type of work task? Are there any specific work
tasks that should be excluded from consideration (e.g., work that is
inherently and exclusively performed by law enforcement officers)?
5. Are there any new data that describe the nature, magnitude, or
impact of emergency response and preparedness operations (e.g., type
and number of incidents, type and quantity of employees considered
emergency responders, financial costs, or occupational injuries,
illnesses, and fatalities) that OSHA should consider when evaluating
the issue of emergency response and preparedness? In particular, are
there relevant data on skilled support employees at emergency incidents
or during preparedness activities?
6. Many emergency responders are State, county or municipal
employees in States with OSHA-approved safety and health plans who are
subject to the requirements of the State Plan-equivalent of the current
OSHA standards in the same manner as private sector employees. As OSHA
considers the necessity for further action on the safety and health of
emergency responders, are there issues or concerns that are specific to
such employers or employees that the Agency should consider? If your
State has promulgated standards or issued guidance on emergency
response and preparedness that differs from the existing OSHA standards
and guidance, please describe the action taken as well as the impact
and effect on the user community. Are there any concerns specific to
the State agencies administering OSHA approved safety and health plans
regarding OSHA's consideration of action in this area?
7. In States that do not have OSHA-approved workplace safety and
health plans, to what extent are OSHA standards used as guidance for
emergency responders who are public sector employees or as guidance for
voluntary State public sector protection programs (e.g., personal
protective clothing and equipment, training, and safety procedures)?
B. Personal Protective Equipment
Since a great deal of emergency response work occurs in an
uncontrolled and dynamic work environment, personal protective
equipment is a particularly important aspect of assuring the responding
employees' health and safety. This section addresses a variety of types
of personal protective equipment that emergency responders might use,
depending on the nature of the hazards they face. The Agency is
particularly interested in determining appropriate national consensus
standards on the design and construction of such equipment as it
considers the issue of emergency response and preparedness.
8. The current OSHA standard for firefighters' protective clothing
is based upon the 1975 edition of ``NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective
Ensemble for Structural Fire Fighting.'' The NFPA standard specifies
the minimum design, performance, and certification requirements, and
test methods for structural firefighting protective ensembles that
include protective coats, protective trousers, protective coveralls,
helmets, gloves, footwear, and interface components. The OSHA standard
still allows treated fabrics as an acceptable outer shell material in
firefighters' protective clothing, rather than fabrics that are
inherently flame resistant. More recent editions of NFPA 1971, recently
renamed the Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Fire
Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, require the use of fabrics that
are inherently flame
[[Page 51739]]
resistant. Inherently flame resistant fabrics are made from fibers
where the flame resistance is an intrinsic property of the material,
whereas treated materials are only made flame resistant by the
application of a secondary chemical that can wear off or wash off over
time (Ex. 1-13). Is the 1975 edition of NFPA 1971 still an appropriate
standard for firefighters' protective clothing? Is the current edition
of the NFPA standard, including the requirement for inherently flame
resistant material, appropriate to consider? Should OSHA consider other
standards, such as those issued by the International Standards
Organization (ISO)?
9. With the exception of the shipyard fire protection standard (29
CFR 1915.505), OSHA standards do not require the use of a personal
alert safety system (PASS) device by firefighters in order to help
locate missing, trapped, or incapacitated firefighters. Is such a
device necessary and appropriate for firefighters' safety in non-
shipyard situations? If so, under what circumstances is it to be used?
Is the current edition of ``NFPA 1982, Standard on Personal Alert
Safety Systems (PASS)'' an appropriate standard to consider (Ex. 1-14)?
This standard specifies the NFPA minimum design, performance, and
certification requirements and test methods for all PASS to be used by
firefighters and other emergency services personnel who engage in
rescue, firefighting, and other hazardous duties. Are there additional
features of a personnel accountability system, other than these safety
devices, that should be an element of an emergency response system? Are
there emergency response situations, other than firefighting, that
should necessitate the use of a PASS device? Are emergency responders
at your workplace provided with PASS devices? What are the costs of
PASS devices or an alternate system? What is the expected service life
of such a device in your work environment? Are there any data on their
effectiveness?
10. It has been OSHA policy to enforce the use of ``NFPA 1976,
Standard on Protective Ensemble for Proximity Fire Fighting'' compliant
protective clothing and equipment for proximity firefighting (e.g., jet
fuel fires) (Standard Interpretations 04/03/1997--Appropriate
protective clothing for aircraft firefighting) The NFPA 1976 standard
has recently been subsumed in the NFPA 1971 standard on firefighter's
protective clothing (Ex. 1-13). This standard contains the NFPA minimum
design, performance, and certification requirements and the test
methods for proximity protective ensembles, including protective coats,
protective trousers, protective coveralls, helmets, gloves, footwear,
and interface components. Does the NFPA 1971 standard adequately
protect employees performing such proximity firefighting tasks? If not,
what other standards should OSHA consider?
11. Under the respiratory protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134),
OSHA requires that all self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) be
certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) (42 CFR part 84). Because NIOSH does not test SCBA for exposure
to heat and flame, is this certification adequate? Would it be
appropriate for all SCBAs used for firefighting or emergency response
to be certified by NIOSH and also certified as compliant with the
current edition of ``NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained
Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Emergency Services'' (Ex. 1-15)? NFPA 1981
specifies the minimum requirements for the design, performance,
testing, and certification of open-circuit SCBA and combination open-
circuit self-contained breathing apparatus and supplied air respirators
(SCBA/SAR) for fire and emergency services personnel and includes tests
for heat and flame resistance. NIOSH requires this in its new Chemical,
Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) certification (42 CFR part
84). Are the SCBA currently used in your workplace compliant with the
NFPA 1981 standard?
12. Emergency response to weapons of mass destruction such as
chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) agents has
increasingly become viewed as a component of a local emergency
response. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has adopted
NIOSH and NFPA standards for CBRN personal protective equipment (PPE).
For example, DHS requires CBRN chemical protective clothing to meet
``NFPA 1994, Standard on Protective Ensembles for CBRN Terrorism
Incidents'' (Ex. 1-16). This standard specifies the NFPA minimum
requirements for the design, performance, testing, documentation, and
certification of protective ensembles designed to protect fire and
emergency services personnel from chemical/biological terrorism agents.
These standards provide more detailed and stringent performance testing
requirements for PPE than the OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR 1910.120), which requires only
minimal testing for chemical resistance and garment integrity. Under
what circumstances is protective clothing tested to meet the NIOSH and
NFPA standards necessary (e.g., all emergency responses, or emergency
response to a known or suspected CBRN agent, or only during remediation
or recovery)? Similarly, the Department of Homeland Security has
adopted ``NFPA 1991, Standard on Vapor-Protective Ensembles for
Hazardous Materials Emergencies'' for use against toxic industrial
chemical (TICs) and toxic industrial materials (TIMs) (Ex. 1-17). Are
there emergency response situations that would necessitate the use of
chemical protective clothing that was certified to NFPA chemical
protective clothing standards, which involves more thorough testing
than chemical protective clothing currently specified under the
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard? Are there
any other standards on chemical protective clothing that OSHA should
consider?
13. Emergency medical service providers may be exposed to hazards
not common to other employees that have exposure to blood or body
fluids (e.g., jagged metal or broken glass from motor vehicle
accidents). Currently, OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard (29 CFR
1910.1030) and respiratory protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134)
require personal protective equipment such as gloves, gowns, eye
protection, respirators, and surgical masks. Is there any PPE for pre-
hospital emergency medical service personnel (EMS), not currently
required by the bloodborne pathogens standard or the respiratory
protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134), which may be necessary to
protect EMS employees (e.g., ``NFPA 1999, Standard on Protective
Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations'') (Ex. 1-18)? NFPA 1999
specifies the NFPA minimum design, performance, testing, and
certification requirements for emergency medical clothing used by fire
and EMS personnel during EMS operations. Is such equipment currently
used in your workplace? What would such PPE cost and what is the
expected life of the equipment?
14. Is there any PPE for emergency responders providing technical
rescue services (e.g., vehicle extrication, high-angle rescue, swift-
water rescue) that may be necessary for protecting employees providing
such services? If so, under what circumstances should the use of such
equipment be considered necessary? Please describe specific tasks and
associated equipment that OSHA should consider. What would such PPE
cost and what is the expected life of the equipment?
[[Page 51740]]
15. Employees performing urban search and rescue (USAR) tasks may
be exposed to a variety of physical hazards from building debris as
well as incidental exposure to thermal, chemical, or biological
hazards. The Department of Homeland Security has adopted ``NFPA 1951,
Standard on Protective Ensemble for Technical Rescue Incidents '' for
emergency responders conducting USAR operations (Ex. 1-19). NFPA 1951
establishes the NFPA minimum requirements for garments, head
protection, gloves, and footwear, for fire and emergency services
personnel operating at technical rescue incidents involving building or
structural collapse, vehicle/person extrication, confined space entry,
trench/cave-in rescue, rope rescue, and similar incidents. What PPE may
be necessary for protecting these emergency responders? Is NFPA 1951 an
appropriate standard for OSHA to consider on the subject? Are there
other standards that OSHA should consider? What equipment is being used
currently in your workplace? What does the PPE cost, and how many
responders are equipped with it? What is the expected life of the
equipment?
16. Is there any other PPE, not already identified, that may be
necessary for emergency responders or skilled support personnel? What
is the equipment, what would it cost, and how many responders would
need to be equipped with it? What is the expected life of the
equipment?
C. Training and Qualifications
The knowledge, skills and abilities of emergency responders and
skilled support employees will depend largely on the training and
qualifications for required work tasks. Training and qualifications
typically include both initial training as well as any periodic
training (e.g., annual refresher training) that may be necessary to
maintain an appropriate level of functional capability.
17. The OSHA Fire Brigade standard (29 CFR 1910.156(c)) contains
broadly worded requirements on training and education and requires the
quality of such training to be ``similar to'' a number of State fire
training schools. Is this standard adequate to ensure firefighters are
appropriately trained to perform required tasks safely? If not, what
level of initial training and qualification is necessary to safely
perform fire fighting tasks? Is ``NFPA 1001, Standard for Fire Fighter
Professional Qualifications'' an appropriate standard to consider (Ex.
1-20)? NFPA 1001 identifies the minimum job performance requirements
for two levels of progression of firefighters whose duties are
primarily structural in nature. Are there other standards or
recommendations that OSHA should consider? What amount and type of
periodic refresher training should be considered the minimum necessary
for firefighters? What is the appropriate format for acquiring this
training? What are the training practices in your workplace?
18. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), develops the National Standard
Curricula for all levels of EMS personnel. What level of initial
occupational health and safety training and qualification is necessary
to safely perform emergency medical services? Are there any additional
initial training requirements beyond the NHTSA standards appropriate
for OSHA to consider (e.g., training on emergency vehicle operation or
incident scene safety)? What amount and type of periodic refresher
training is necessary for EMS personnel? What are the current training
practices in your workplace?
19. OSHA does not currently require any specific training for
rescue technicians. What level of initial training and qualification is
necessary to safely perform technical rescue tasks? Is ``NFPA 1006,
Standard for Rescue Technician Professional Qualifications'' an
appropriate standard to consider (Ex. 1-21)? NFPA 1006 establishes the
NFPA minimum requirements necessary for fire service and other
emergency response personnel who perform technical rescue operations.
These include rope rescue, surface water rescue, vehicle and machinery
rescue, confined space rescue, structural collapse rescue, and trench
rescue. Are there other standards or recommendations that OSHA should
consider? What amount and type of annual refresher training should be
considered the minimum necessary for such emergency responders? What is
the appropriate format for acquiring this training (e.g., does this
require travel to a specialized training facility)? What are the
current training practices in your workplace?
20. Skilled support work at emergency incidents is work that is not
performed by an emergency responder (e.g., firefighter or EMS provider)
but is nonetheless a critical element of a safe and successful
emergency response, such as heavy equipment operation, utility shut-
off, and cutting and removal of iron work. The role of skilled support
employees at emergency incidents is only directly addressed in the
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER)
(29 CFR 1910.120), which does not apply to all types of emergency
incidents. The standard requires skilled support employees that are
needed on a temporary basis for immediate emergency support work to be
given an initial briefing on necessary information but does not require
them to receive the full training provisions of the standard (29 CFR
1910.120(q)(4)). What level of initial training and qualification is
necessary to safely perform skilled support jobs? Should specific
training for skilled support personnel, other than the initial
briefing, be considered? Should refresher training on an annual or
other basis for such responders be considered? The OSHA Training
Institute has developed a 16-hour Disaster Site Worker Course
(7600) which emphasizes knowledge, precautions and personal
protection essential to maintaining an employee's personal safety and
health at a disaster site. Should skilled support personnel take the
OSHA Disaster Site Worker training course, or something similar, before
responding to a disaster or is just-in-time training sufficient and
appropriate? What are the current training practices in your workplace?
21. OSHA standards do not address the training or qualifications
for either emergency responders who operate emergency apparatus or
those personnel who may have to work on an active roadway during an
emergency response (e.g., responding to a car crash). Traffic accidents
involving emergency apparatus, as well as incidents where emergency
responders are struck by passing vehicles at incident scenes,
constitute a major source of injuries for emergency responders (Ex. 1-
22). Is there any training or qualifications on emergency vehicle
safety or incident scene safety (e.g., ``NFPA 1002, Standard for Fire
Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications'') that should be
considered for emergency responders as a whole or for individual groups
of emergency responders, such as emergency vehicle drivers (Ex. 1-23)?
What is the appropriate format for acquiring this training? What are
the current training practices in your workplace?
22. The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard
(29 CFR 1910.120), which does not apply to all types of emergency
incidents, requires that incident commanders have specialized training
beyond that of other employees. However, the Fire Brigade standard (29
CFR 1910.156) does not
[[Page 51741]]
require any additional or specialized training for fire officers that
will manage or supervise the emergency response incident. Should the
training and qualifications for fire officers be different than for
firefighters? If so, what level of training is appropriate for
officers? Is ``NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional
Qualifications,'' an appropriate standard to consider in evaluating
this issue (Ex. 1-24)? NFPA 1021 identifies the performance
requirements necessary to perform the duties of a fire officer and
specifically identifies four levels of training that progress with
increasing rank and increasing responsibility. Are there other
standards or recommendations OSHA should consider? What are the current
training practices in your workplace?
23. OSHA's Fire Brigade standard (29 CFR 1910.156) does not
distinguish between industrial fire brigades and other types of fire
departments that may respond to a wider range of emergency incidents at
a variety of locations. Should the minimum training and qualifications
for industrial fire brigade members be different than for other
firefighters? If so, what is an appropriate training standard for OSHA
to consider (e.g., ``NFPA 1081, Standard for Industrial Fire Brigade
Member Professional Qualifications'') (Ex. 1-25)? NFPA 1081 identifies
the NFPA minimum job performance requirements necessary to carry out
the duties of an individual who is a member of an organized industrial
fire brigade providing services at a specific facility or site. Are
there other standards or recommendations for fire brigades OSHA should
consider? What are the current training practices in your workplace?
24. During an emergency response the Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR 1910.120), which does not cover all
emergency incidents, requires that the individual in charge of the
incident command system (ICS) designate a safety official. The safety
official has the authority to alter, suspend, or terminate any
activities that are deemed to be an imminent danger to employees. The
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard does not
establish minimum training and qualifications for a safety official,
but the person must be knowledgeable in the operations being
implemented and able to identify and evaluate hazards with respect to
the operational safety. While the Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response Standard uses the term ``safety official,'' the
National Response Plan (NRP) and National Incident Management System
(NIMS) use the term ``safety officer.'' In practical application, is
there a distinction between these two individuals or do they
essentially perform the same function? The NIMS describes the duties
and functions of the safety officer at an emergency incident as
monitoring incident operations and advising the Incident Commander on
all matters relating to operational safety, including the health and
safety of emergency responder personnel. The NIMS also does not specify
the minimum training and qualifications to assume the role of safety
officer. What are the minimum training and qualifications that a safety
officer needs? Aside from responsibilities at an emergency incident,
should a safety officer have a role in the management of an emergency
response and preparedness program? If so, what should be a safety
officer's non-emergency duties and functions and how would they relate
to emergency response and preparedness?
25. Recently, there has been a greater emphasis on assuring
continuity of incident management from the local and state responder
level to the national level at incidents of national significance
managed under the National Response Plan (e.g., large natural
disasters). What training at the state and local level, if any, is
necessary to facilitate seamless emergency operations at a joint field
office (JFO) or area field office (AFO)?
26. What is the best way for OSHA to specify training for a given
emergency response role? For example:
By specifying a minimum number of hours of training;
By specifying training content based on job tasks;
By specifying that training be adequate to demonstrate
specified competencies;
By a combination of these methods; or
By some other method.
Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been
working on a national credentialing system to verify training and
qualifications. Should the Agency consider credentialing systems in its
evaluation of training and qualifications?
D. Medical Evaluation/Health Monitoring
Emergency responders work in an environment where they may be
exposed to a variety of physical, chemical, or biological hazards. The
personal protective clothing and equipment that they use, as well as
the inherent nature of their work, can pose an additional physiologic
burden on emergency responders. Medical evaluation and health
monitoring is an important factor in assuring the health and safety of
emergency responders.
27. OSHA requires that hepatitis B vaccinations be made available
to employees potentially occupationally exposed to blood or other body
fluids in its bloodborne pathogen standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). Are
other vaccinations necessary for emergency responders? If so, which
vaccinations? What would these vaccinations cost? Would they need to be
repeated at some point? Would they be recommended for all emergency
responders or a particular subset? What are the current vaccination
practices in your workplace?
28. There are currently available vaccinations for anthrax and
smallpox, and other vaccinations could be developed in the future for
diseases such as hepatitis C. Employers can determine, based upon their
own risk assessment, if such vaccines are necessary and should be
offered to their employees. If vaccines other than the hepatitis B
vaccination are determined by the employer to be necessary for
emergency responders, should OSHA consider non-disease specific
administrative and recordkeeping procedures similar to those required
for the hepatitis B vaccine (29 CFR 1910.1030(f))? These procedures
could include requirements that the vaccine be made available at no
cost to the employee, available to the employee at a reasonable time
and place, and subject to appropriate medical screening. Are there any
elements of an assessment process that should be implemented before an
employer can determine that a vaccine is necessary, for example, a
determination by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) or other
appropriate medical recommendation?
29. Medical evaluations for emergency responders are currently
regulated under the Fire Brigade (29 CFR 1910.156), Respiratory
Protection (29 CFR 1910.134), and Hazardous Waste Operations and
Emergency Response (29 CFR 1910.120) standards. The Fire Brigade
Standard requires that employers not permit employees with known heart
disease, epilepsy, or emphysema to perform emergency response work
unless approved by a physician. The respiratory protection standard
requires that a physician or other licensed health care professional
evaluate an employees' ability to use a respirator. Such an evaluation
may consist solely of a medical questionnaire. The Hazardous Waste
[[Page 51742]]
Operations and Emergency Response Standard has more extensive
requirements for an annual medical evaluation. Is ``NFPA 1582,
Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments'' an
appropriate medical evaluation for firefighters (Ex. 1-26)? NFPA 1582
contains descriptive requirements for a comprehensive occupational
medical program to ensure that fire department members are medically
capable of performing their required duties. Are there other medical
evaluation standards that are appropriate for either firefighters or
emergency responders who perform tasks other than firefighting? For
emergency responders who do not perform firefighting tasks, what
elements of a medical evaluation are necessary to assure that they are
physically capable of performing essential job tasks while wearing an
array of possibly physically burdensome personal protective clothing
and equipment? How often should a medical evaluation for emergency
responders be conducted? Please address the following types of medical
evaluation: Pre-placement, return-to-work, annual fitness for duty
evaluation, and periodic medical surveillance. What is the cost to the
employer of these recommended medical evaluations for emergency
responders? How is the medical evaluation of emergency responders
addressed in your workplace?
30. The physiologic burden caused by performing emergency response
activities and wearing PPE can be extreme (e.g., over-exertion, heat
stress or dehydration). Additionally, cardiovascular fatalities
represent a large percentage of firefighters' fatalities. Is on-scene
rehabilitation and providing appropriate assistance (e.g., monitoring
workers' temperature, blood pressure, hydration levels) an appropriate
method of preventing or reducing the number of these injuries and
fatalities? Is ``NFPA 1584, Rehabilitation of Members Operating at
Incident Scene Operations and Training Exercises'' an appropriate
standard for such practices (Ex. 1-27)? NFPA 1584 describes recommended
practices for developing and implementing an incident scene
rehabilitation program, including: Medical evaluations, re-hydration,
and protection from environmental conditions. Are there other methods
of protection that are available, such as adjusting work/rest regimens
or physical training? Are there other standards or recommendations that
OSHA should consider? Should defibrillators (either a defibrillator or
an automated external defibrillator (AED)) be available at emergency
incident scenes in case an emergency responder or skilled support
worker has a cardiac event? Do you currently have a defibrillator or
AED at emergency events?
E. Safety
The safety of emergency responders and skilled support employees is
affected by the employer's policies and procedures established to
govern emergency response operations. Also, the tools and equipment
used by emergency responders may affect their ability to detect and
monitor hazards as well as communicate those hazards to others at the
emergency scene.
31. The use of an incident management system as a means to assure
the health and safety of employees is required by the OSHA Hazardous
Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR 1910.120) for
emergency response to hazardous materials incidents and OSHA's Fire
Brigades in Shipyards standard (29 CFR 1915.505). Is an incident
management system appropriate for managing all other emergency
incidents?
32. The NIMS specifies that a unified command structure be employed
for all employees at an incident when there are multiple jurisdictions
and agencies involved. Since each employer is responsible for the
health and safety of his or her employees at emergency incidents and
may affect the safety and health of other employers' employees, how can
a safety management structure be developed that incorporates a multi-
employer response that is commanded within a single incident command
system for all types of incidents?
33. The NIMS describes the duties and functions of the safety
officer at an emergency incident. However, the NIMS does not address
non-emergency functions for the safety officer that may be necessary to
assure the health and safety of emergency responders and skilled
support personnel when an emergency does occur (e.g., assuring training
requirements are met, assuring that protective clothing and equipment
is adequately maintained, or reviewing and updating standard operating
procedures). What are the non-emergency duties and functions that are
necessary to assure the proper management of an emergency response and
preparedness program? Is a designated safety program manager or
administrator needed?
34. Do emergency responders need hazard detection and monitoring
equipment capabilities, such as 4-gas monitors, thermal imaging
cameras, or chemical, biological, and radiological detection equipment?
If so, for each type of job task what abilities and equipment are
needed? How much would these devices typically cost to own and operate?
What are the devices' expected service life?
35. Should emergency response organizations establish written
standard operating procedures (SOPs) or standard operating guidelines
(SOGs) for expected emergency response activities? If so, what types of
issues should be addressed in the SOPs or SOGs? How should employers
determine what activities are within the expected range of operations
and what activities might be outside the range of expected planning?
How should employers plan and prepare for special hazards within their
area of operations (e.g., high-rise buildings, industrial facilities,
or open-pit mines)?
36. How can communication at emergency incidents be maintained? Is
a certain type of communications hardware, such as radio systems, or
handheld radios, needed by all emergency responders? What training in
communications is needed? Is there evidence that portable radios are
necessary for either each individual emergency responder or each team
of emergency responders? If new equipment and training would be
necessary, how much would they cost?
37. The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard
(29 CFR 1910.120) gives the incident commander broad authority in
managing risk by determining the scope of operations possible at a
given incident. The ``two in/two out'' provision of the Respiratory
Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134 (g)(4)) for interior structural
firefighting implies, but does not directly address, the concept of
risk management. How can OSHA more thoroughly address the concept of
risk management at emergency incidents? What guidance should be given
in weighing the health and safety of emergency responders against
victim's lives, against property loss, or in situations where concerns
about immediate safety may have negative consequences for long-term
health, such as lung damage? How should risk management guidelines
address the various phases of an emergency response from rescue,
incident stabilization, through remediation/recovery? How does your
workplace address the concept of risk management during emergency
response and preparedness activities?
38. Are there specific features of an occupational health and
safety program not addressed in previous questions that
[[Page 51743]]
are necessary for emergency responder health and safety (e.g., any
elements contained in ``NFPA 1500, Fire Department Occupational Safety
and Health Program'' such as life-safety rope systems) (Ex. 1-28)? NFPA
1500 provides the NFPA requirements for a fire service occupational
safety and health program for fire departments. The Hazardous Waste
Operations and Emergency Response Standard (29 CFR 1910.120(b))
requires that employers develop and implement a written safety and
health program for their employees involved in hazardous waste
operations (e.g., safety and health training, medical surveillance,
necessary interface between general program and site specific
activities). Would a health and safety program similar to that required
in 29 CFR 1910.120(b) be appropriate for emergency response activities?
39. Are there any other issues or concerns related to the health or
safety of all emergency responders, or any particular group of
emergency responders, that should be considered? Are there any issues
related to the health and safety of skilled support personnel at
emergency incidents that should be considered?
F. Additional Information
40. In addition to the specific questions above, the Agency is
seeking general information on the cost of safety and health measures
undertaken by municipal emergency response agencies (e.g., fire
departments) and any other first responders or skilled support
employees. From what levels of government are revenues derived to
support emergency response and preparedness? What other sources of
revenue are available? How are increased costs of operation dealt with
(e.g., reduction in service, increase in response time, or increased
revenue sources)? How are these issues different for smaller emergency
response operations or rural areas than for larger or mid-sized
operations? How often are emergency response operations contracted out
to specialists, either by companies or communities?
41. Are there any existing OSHA standards, guidelines, or
recommendations that, when viewed in conjunction with other Federal,
State or local codes and/or the recommendation of consensus standards
organizations such as, but not limited to NFPA, ANSI or ASTM, create
conflict or uncertainty in the practice of emergency responding, safety
and health planning, in the selection of protective equipment, in the
procurement of emergency response equipment, or in the provision of
training? If so, what could OSHA do to remedy these situations?
III. Public Participation
You may submit comments in response to this document by (1) hard
copy, (2) fax transmission (facsimile), or (3) electronically through
the Federal Rulemaking Portal. Because of security-related problems,
there may be a significant delay in the receipt of comments by regular
mail. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 for information
about security procedures concerning the delivery of materials by
express delivery, hand delivery and messenger service.
All comments and submissions are available for inspection and
copying at the OSHA Docket Office at the above address. Comments and
submissions are also available at https://www.regulations.gov. OSHA
cautions you about submitting personal information such as social
security numbers and birth dates. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at
(202) 693-2350 for information about accessing materials in the docket.
Electronic copies of this Federal Register notice, as well as news
releases and other relevant documents, are available at OSHA's Web
page: https://www.osha.gov/.
IV. Authority and Signature
This document was prepared under the direction of Edwin G. Foulke,
Jr., Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health,
U.S. Department of Labor. It is issued pursuant to sections 4, 6, and 8
of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 653, 655,
657), 29 CFR 1911, and Secretary's Order 5-2002 (67 FR 65008).
Signed at Washington, DC, this 4th day of September, 2007.
Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health.
Table of Exhibits
1-1 Emergency Response and Preparedness Request for Information
1-2 Fire Fighter Fatalities in the United States in 2003, U.S. Fire
Administration Report FA-283, August 2004
1-3 NFPA Report: Fire Loss in the United States During 2002 and U.S.
Fire Department Profile Through 2002)
1-4 U.S. Fire Administration, A Needs Assessment of the U.S. Fire
Service, (USFA Report FA-240, December 2002 authorized by U.S.
Public Law 106-398, Sec. 33(b))
1-5 U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fallen Firefighters
Foundation, Firefighter Life Safety Summit Initial Report (April
2004)
1-6 NIOSH/RAND Protecting Emergency Responders: Lessons Learned from
Terrorist Attacks; Protecting Emergency Responders
1-7 NIOSH / RAND Volume 2: Community Views of Safety and Health
Risks and Personal Protection Needs
1-8 NIOSH / RAND Volume 3: Safety Management in Disaster and
Terrorism Response
1-9 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8
(HSPD8)
1-10 The National Incident Management System (NIMS)
1-11 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5
(HSPD5)
1-12 National Response Plan
1-13 NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Fire
Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting
1-14 NFPA 1982, Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS)
1-15 NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing
Apparatus (SCBA) Emergency Services
1-16 NFPA 1994, Standard on Protective Ensembles for First
Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents
1-17 NFPA 1991, Standard on Vapor-Protective Ensembles for Hazardous
Materials Emergencies
1-18 NFPA 1999, Standard on Protective Clothing for Emergency
Medical Operations
1-19 NFPA 1951, Standard on Protective Ensemble for Technical Rescue
Incidents
1-20 NFPA 1001, Standard for Fire Fighter Professional
Qualifications
1-21 NFPA 1006, Standard for Rescue Technician Professional
Qualifications
1-22 U.S. Fire Administration, Firefighter Fatality Retrospective
Study. April 2002 FA-220
1-23 NFPA 1002, Standard for Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator
Professional Qualifications
1-24 NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional
Qualifications
1-25 NFPA 1081, Standard for Industrial Fire Brigade Member
Professional Qualifications
1-26 NFPA 1582, Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire
Departments
1-27 NFPA 1584, Rehabilitation of Members Operating at Incident
Scene Operations and Training Exercises
1-28 NFPA 1500, Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health
Program
[FR Doc. E7-17771 Filed 9-10-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P