Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024
(a)
Scope and Application.
(1) This Section
applies to all emergency employee alarms. This section does not apply to those
discharge or supervisory alarms required on various fixed extinguishing systems
or to supervisory alarms on fire suppression, alarm or detection systems unless
they are intended to be employee alarm systems.
(2) The requirements in this Section that
pertain to maintenance, testing and inspection shall apply to all local fire
alarm signaling systems used for alerting employees regardless of the other
functions of the system.
(3) All
pre-discharge employee alarms shall meet the requirements of subsection (b)(1)
through (b)(4), (c) and (d)(1) of this Section.
(b) General Requirements.
(1) Where local fire alarm signaling systems
are required by these orders, they shall be designed and installed in an
approved manner.
NOTE: For information on local fire alarm signaling
system design and installation, consult the National Fire Protection
Association's "National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code", NFPA 72, 2013 edition
and/or your local jurisdiction fire department.
(2) The employee alarm system shall provide
warning for necessary emergency action as called for in the emergency action
plan, or for reaction time for safe escape of employees from the workplace or
the immediate work area, or both.
(3) The employee alarm shall be capable of
being perceived above ambient noise or light levels by all employees in the
affected portions of the workplace. Tactile devices may be used to alert those
employees who would not otherwise be able to recognize the audible or visual
alarm.
(4) The employee alarm shall
be distinctive and recognizable as a signal to evacuate the work area or to
perform actions designated under the emergency action plan.
(5) All employees shall be made aware of
means and methods of reporting emergencies. These methods may be, but are not
limited to, manual pull box alarms, public address systems, radio or
telephones. When telephones are used as a means of reporting an emergency,
telephone numbers shall be conspicuously posted nearby. Where a communication
system also serves as the employee alarm system, all emergency messages shall
have priority over all non-emergency messages.
(6) The employer shall establish procedures
for sounding emergency alarms in the workplace. For those employers with 10 or
fewer employees in a particular workplace, direct voice communication is an
acceptable procedure for sounding the alarm provided all employees can hear the
alarm. Such workplaces need not have a back-up system.
(c) Installation and Restoration.
(1) The employer shall assure that all
devices, components, combinations of devices or systems constructed and
installed to comply with this standard shall be approved. Steam whistles, air
horns, strobe lights or similar lighting devices, or tactile devices meeting
the requirements of this Section are considered to meet this requirement for
approval.
(2) The employer shall
assure that all employee alarm systems are restored to normal operating
condition as promptly as possible after each test or alarm. Devices and
components of alarm systems that are subject to wear or destruction shall have
replacements available in sufficient quantities and locations for prompt
restoration of the system.
(d) Maintenance and Testing.
(1) The employer shall assure that all
employee alarm systems are maintained in operating condition except when
undergoing repairs or maintenance.
(2) The employer shall assure that a test of
the reliability and adequacy of non-supervised employee alarm systems is made
every two months. A different actuation device shall be used in each test of a
multi-actuation device system so that no individual device is used for two
consecutive tests.
(3) The employer
shall maintain or replace power supplies as often as is necessary to assure a
fully operational condition. Back-up means of alarm, such as employee runners
or telephones, shall be provided when systems are out of service.
(4) The employer shall assure that employee
alarm circuitry installed after July 1, 1981, shall be supervised and provide
positive notification to assigned personnel whenever a deficiency exists in the
system. The employer shall assure that all supervised employee alarm systems
are tested at least annually for reliability and adequacy.
(5) The employer shall assure that servicing,
maintenance and testing of employee alarms are performed by persons trained in
the designed operation and functions necessary for reliable and safe operations
of the system.
(e) Manual
Operation.
(1) The employer shall assure that
manually operated actuation devices for use in conjunction with employee alarms
are unobstructed, conspicuous and readily accessible.
1. New
article 165 (section 6184) filed 9-8-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter
(Register 81, No. 37).
2. Editorial correction of subsections (b)(1)
and (e)(1) filed 11-9-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 81, No.
45).
3. Editorial correction of subsections (b) and (d) filed
6-30-82 (Register 82, No. 27).
4. Change without regulatory effect
deleting title 24 reference (Register 87, No. 49).
5. Editorial
correction of subsection (e)(1) deleting obsolete title 24 reference (Register
88, No. 9).
6. Amendment of subsection (a)(5) filed 5-17-93;
operative 6-16-93 (Register 93, No. 21).
7. Amendment of section and
NOTE filed 8-25-2005; operative 9-24-2005 (Register 2005, No.
34).
8. Amendment of subsection (b)(1) filed 12-2-2014; operative
1-1-2015 (Register 2014, No. 49).
Note: Authority cited: Section
142.3, Labor
Code. Reference: Section
142.3, Labor
Code.
