Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
(1)
Employer responsibilities. You must comply with the provisions of
this section whenever employees are exposed to fixed extinguishing systems that
could create a dangerous atmosphere when activated in vessels and vessel
sections, regardless of geographic location.
(2)
Requirements for automatic and
manual systems. Before any work is done in a space equipped with fixed
extinguishing systems, you must either:
(a)
Physically isolate the systems or use other positive means to prevent the
systems' discharge; or
(b) Ensure
employees are trained to recognize:
(i)
Systems' discharge and evacuation alarms and the appropriate escape routes;
and
(ii) Hazards associated with
the extinguishing systems and agents including the dangers of disturbing system
components and equipment such as piping, cables, linkages, detection devices,
activation devices, and alarm devices.
(3)
Sea and dock trials. During
trials, you must ensure that all systems shall remain operational.
(4)
Doors and hatches. You must:
(a) Take protective measures to ensure that
all doors, hatches, scuttles, and other exit openings remain working and
accessible for escape in the event the systems are activated; and
(b) Ensure that all inward opening doors,
hatches, scuttles, and other potential barriers to safe exit are removed,
locked open, braced, or otherwise secured so that they remain open and
accessible for escape if the systems' activation could result in a positive
pressure in the protected spaces sufficient to impede escape.
(5)
Testing the
system.
(a) When testing a fixed
extinguishing system involves a total discharge of extinguishing medium into a
space, you must evacuate all employees from the space and assure that no
employees remain in the space during the discharge. You must retest the
atmosphere in accordance with WAC
296-304-02003 to ensure that the
oxygen levels are safe for employees to enter.
(b) When testing a fixed extinguishing system
does not involve a total discharge of the system's extinguishing medium, you
must make sure that the system's extinguishing medium is physically isolated
and that all employees not directly involved in the testing are evacuated from
the protected space.
(6)
Conducting system maintenance. Before conducting maintenance on a
fixed extinguishing system, you must ensure that the system is physically
isolated.
(7)
Using fixed
manual extinguishing systems for fire protection. If fixed manual
extinguishing systems are used to provide fire protection for spaces in which
the employees are working, you must ensure that:
(a) Only authorized employees are allowed to
activate the system;
(b) Authorized
employees are trained to operate and activate the systems; and
(c) All employees are evacuated from the
protected spaces, and accounted for, before the fixed manual extinguishing
system is activated.
Statutory Authority:
RCW
49.17.010,
49.17.040,
49.17.050,
49.17.060. 05-19-086, §
296-304-01015, filed 9/20/05, effective
12/1/05.
