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PDFWAC 296-305-01005


Unless the context indicates otherwise, words used in this chapter will have the meaning given in this section.
Accident. An unexpected event that interrupts or interferes with the orderly progress of the fire department operations and may or may not include personal injury or property damage.
Accountability (tracking) system. A system of firefighter accountability that provides for the tracking and inventory of all members.
ACGIH. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
ACM. Asbestos-containing material; any material containing more than 1 percent asbestos.
Aerial devices. Fire apparatus-mounted aerial ladders, elevated platforms, and water towers.
ANSI. American National Standards Institute.
Apparatus. A mobile piece of fire equipment such as a pumper, aerial, tender, automobile, etc.
(a) A method, equipment, procedure, practice, tool, etc., which is sanctioned, consented to, confirmed or accepted as good or satisfactory for a particular purpose or use by a person, or organization authorized to make such a judgment.
(b) Approved by the director of the department of labor and industries or his/her authorized representative: Provided, however, That should a provision of this chapter state that approval by an agency or organization other than the department of labor and industries is required, such as Underwriters' Laboratories or the Bureau of Mines, the provisions of chapter 296-800 WAC must apply.
Asbestos. Includes chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, and any of these minerals that have been chemically treated or altered.
Belt. See ladder belt and escape belt.
Blowup (wildfire). Sudden increase in fire intensity or rate of spread sufficient to preclude direct control or to upset existing control plans. Often accompanied by violent convection and may have other characteristics of a fire storm.
CBRN. Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear.
Chief. The employer representative highest in rank who is responsible for the fire department's operation.
Cold zone. The control zone of an incident that contains the command post and such other support functions as are deemed necessary to control the incident.
Combat scene. The site where the suppression of a fire or emergency exists.
Confined space. A space that is all of the following:
(a) Large enough and arranged so an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; and
(c) Not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
Containment. The actions taken to keep a material in its container (e.g., stop the release of the material or reduce the amount being released.)
Contaminated. The presence or the reasonably anticipated presence of nuisance materials foreign to the normal atmospheres, blood, hazardous waste, or other potentially infectious materials on an item or surface.
Contaminated laundry. Laundry which has been soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials or may contain contaminated sharps.
Contamination. The process of transferring a hazardous material from its source to people, animals, the environment, or equipment, which may act as a carrier.
dBA. A measure of noise level expressed as decibels measured on the "A" scale.
(a) The physical or chemical process of reducing and preventing the spread of contamination from persons or equipment used at a hazardous materials incident.
Director. The director of the department of labor and industries, or his/her designated representative.
Disinfection. A procedure which inactivates virtually all recognized pathogenic microorganisms, but not necessarily all microbial forms (example: Bacterial endospores) on inanimate objects.
Disturb/disturbance. Refers to activities that disrupt the matrix of, crumble or pulverize, or generate visible debris from ACM or PACM.
Dive rescue (public safety diving). The act of searching for or rescuing a viable or presumably viable person(s), while working in water using underwater apparatus which supplies compressed breathing gas at the ambient pressure.
Double-layer woven clothing. Clothing worn in two layers allowing air to reach the skin. For example, coveralls worn on top of regular work clothes.
Drill tower. A structure which may or may not be attached to the station and which is principally used for training firefighters in fire service techniques.
Drinking water. Potable water that is suitable to drink. Drinking water packaged as a consumer product and electrolyte-replenishing beverages (i.e., sports drinks) that do not contain caffeine are acceptable.
Driver/operator. A person having satisfactorily completed the fire department's "requirements of driver/operator" of a specific piece of fire apparatus.
Emergency. A sudden and unexpected event calling for immediate action.
Emergency incident. A specific emergency operation.
Emergency medical care. The provision of treatment to, and/or transportation of, patients which may include first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, basic life support, advanced life support, and other medical procedures that occur prior to arrival at a hospital or other health care facility.
Emergency operations. Activities of the fire department relating to rescue, fire suppression, emergency medical care, and special operations, including response to the scene of an incident and all functions performed at the scene.
Employee. An employee of an employer who is employed in the business of his/her employer whether by way of manual labor or otherwise and every person in this state who is engaged in the employment of or who is working under an independent contract the essence of which is their personal labor for an employer under this chapter whether by way of manual labor or otherwise. Also see "Member."
Employer. Any person, firm, corporation, partnership, business trust, legal representative, or other business entity which engages in any business, industry, profession, or activity in this state and employs one or more employees or who contracts with one or more persons, the essence of which is the personal labor of such person or persons and includes the state, counties, cities, and all municipal corporations, public corporations, political subdivisions of the state, and charitable organizations.
Employer representative. A fire department officer authorized by the chief or director of the fire department to act in his/her behalf.
Engine (pumper). A piece of apparatus equipped with hose and a pump for the purpose of supplying water under pressure through hose lines.
Escape belt. A device that fastens around the waist only and is intended to be used by the wearer only as an emergency self-rescue device.
Escape rope. A single-purpose emergency self-escape (self-rescue) rope, not classified as a life safety rope.
Exclusion zone. The control zone designated to exclude all unauthorized personnel, responders, and equipment.
Examples of exclusion zones could be holes in floors, explosive devices, or collapse hazards.
Extended attack. Suppression activity for a wildfire that has not been contained or controlled by initial attack or contingency forces and for which more firefighting resources are arriving, en route, or being ordered by the initial attack incident commander.
Extended attack incident. A wildland fire that has not been contained or controlled by initial attack forces and for which more firefighting resources are arriving, en route, or being ordered by the initial attack incident commander. Extended attack implies that the complexity level of the incident will increase beyond the capabilities of initial attack incident command.
Fire apparatus. A fire department emergency vehicle used for rescue, fire suppression, or other specialized functions.
Fire boat. A fire department watercraft having a permanent, affixed firefighting capability.
Fire department. An organization or consortium of organizations providing any or all of the following: Rescue, fire suppression, and other related activities. For the purposes of this standard the term "Fire Department" includes any public, private, or military organization engaging in this type of activity.
Fire department facility. Any building or area owned, operated, occupied, or used by a fire department on a routine basis. This does not include locations where a fire department may be summoned to perform emergency operations or other duties, unless such premises are normally under the control of the fire department.
Firefighter. A member of a fire department whose duties require the performance of essential firefighting functions or substantially similar functions.
Fire retardant. Any material used to reduce, stop or prevent the flame spread.
Fire suppression training. Training received by firefighters on the drill ground, drill tower, or industrial site to maintain the firefighter's proficiency.
Fly. Extendible sections of ground or aerial ladders.
Full body harness. See life safety harness.
Gross decontamination. The initial phase of the decontamination process during which the amount of surface contaminant is significantly reduced.
Ground jack. Heavy jacks attached to frame of chassis of aerial-equipped apparatus to provide stability when the aerial portion of the apparatus is used.
Guideline. An organizational directive that establishes a standard course of action.
Halyard. Rope used on extension ladders for the purpose of raising or lowering fly section(s). A wire cable may be referred to as a halyard when used on the uppermost fly section(s) of three or four section extension ladders.
Harness. See life safety harness.
Hazard communication program. A procedure to address comprehensively the issue of evaluating the potential hazards of chemicals and communicating information concerning hazards and appropriate protective measures to employees. See chapter 296-901 WAC.
Hazard control zones.
The cold zone established the public exclusion or clean zone. There are minimal risks of human injury or exposure in this zone.
Exclusion zone: The control zone designated to exclude all unauthorized personnel, responders, and equipment.
Hot zone: The control zone immediately surrounding the hazard area, which extends far enough to prevent adverse effects to personnel outside the zone. The hot zone is presenting the greatest risk to members and will often be classified as an IDLH atmosphere.
Warm zone: The control zone outside the hot zone where personnel and equipment decontamination and the hot zone support takes place.
The warm zone is a limited access area for members directly aiding or in support of operations in the hot zone. Significant risk of human injury (respiratory, exposures, etc.) can still exist in the warm zone.
Hazards. The characteristics of facilities, equipment, systems, property, hardware or other objects and those areas of structures or buildings posing a hazard greater than normal to the general occupancy or structures.
Hazardous area. The immediate area where members might be exposed to a hazard.
Hazardous atmosphere. An atmosphere that may expose employees to the risk of death, incapacitation, impairment of ability to self-rescue (escape unaided from a permit-required confined space), injury or acute illness caused by one or more of the following:
(a) Flammable gas, vapor, or mist in excess of 10% of its lower flammable limit (LFL);
(b) Airborne combustible dust at a concentration that meets or exceeds its LFL;
(c) Atmospheric oxygen concentration below 19.5% or above 23.5%;
(d) Atmospheric concentration of any substance which may exceed a permissible exposure limit. For additional information about atmospheric concentration, see chapter 296-62 WAC, Parts F, G, and I, General occupational health standards and chapter 296-841 WAC, Airborne contaminants.
Hazardous condition. The physical condition or act which is causally related to accident occurrence. The hazardous condition is related directly to both the accident type and the agency of the accident.
Hazardous material. A substance (solid, liquid, or gas) that when released is capable of creating harm to people, the environment, and property.
Hazardous substances. Substances that present an unusual risk to persons due to properties of toxicity, chemical activity, corrosivity, etiological hazards of similar properties.
Health and safety officer. The member of the fire department assigned and authorized as the administrator of the fire department health and safety program.
Heat-related illness. A medical condition resulting from the body's inability to cope with a particular heat load, and includes, but is not limited to, heat cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion, fainting, and heat stroke.
Hose bed. Portion of fire apparatus where hose is stored.
Hose tower. A vertical enclosure where hose is hung to dry.
Hot zone. The control zone immediately surrounding the hazard area, which extends far enough to prevent adverse effects to personnel outside the zone. The hot zone is the area presenting the greatest risk to members and will often be classified as an IDLH atmosphere.
Ice rescue. The rescue of a person(s) who is afloat within an opening in the frozen surface or on the frozen surface of a body of water.
Identify. To select or indicate verbally or in writing using recognized standard terms. To establish the identity of; the fact of being the same as the one described.
IDLH. Immediately dangerous to life and health.
Imminent hazard (danger). An act or condition that is judged to present a danger to persons or property and is so immediate and severe that it requires immediate corrective or preventative action.
Incident command system (ICS). A system that includes: Roles, responsibilities, operating requirements, guidelines and procedures for organizing and operating an on-scene management structure.
Incident commander. The person in overall command of an emergency incident. This person is responsible for the direction and coordination of the response effort.
Incident safety officer. The person assigned the command staff function of safety officer in the incident command system.
Incipient (phase) fire. The beginning of a fire; where the oxygen content in the air has not been significantly reduced and the fire is producing minute amounts of water vapor, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other gases; the room has a normal temperature and can be controlled or extinguished with a portable fire extinguisher or small hose, e.g., a kitchen stove fire.
Industrial fire brigade. An organized group of employees whose primary employment is other than firefighting who are knowledgeable, trained and skilled in specialized operations based on site-specific hazards present at a single commercial facility or facilities under the same management.
Initial action. The actions taken by the first resources to arrive at a wildfire or wildland fire use incident. Initial actions may be size up, patrolling, monitoring, holding action or aggressive initial attack.
Initial attack. A planned response to a wildfire given the wildfire's potential fire behavior. The objective of initial attack is to stop the fire and put it out in a manner consistent with firefighter and public safety and values to be protected.
Initial fire suppression training. The training of firefighters in recognizing sources and locations of potential fires and the method of fire suppression to be used.
Initial stages. Tasks undertaken by the first arriving company with only one crew assigned or operating in the hot zone.
Injury. Physical damage suffered by a person that requires treatment by a practitioner of medicine (a physician, nurse, paramedic or EMT) within one year of the incident regardless of whether treatment was actually received.
Interior structural firefighting. The physical activity of fire suppression, rescue or both, inside of buildings or enclosed structures which are involved in a fire situation beyond the incipient stage. See structural firefighting.
Known rescue. A situation of compelling evidence where a member sees, hears, or is directly told of a trapped and viable victim by an occupant who has escaped or is a credible witness.
Ladder belt. A device that fastens around the waist only and is used as a positioning device for a person on a ladder.
Life safety or rescue rope. Rope dedicated solely for the purpose of constructing lines for supporting people during rescue, firefighting, or other emergency operations, or during training evolutions.
Life safety harness. A configuration of connected straps to distribute a fall arresting force over at least the thighs, shoulders and pelvis, with provisions for attaching a lanyard, lifeline, or deceleration devices.
Live fire. Any unconfined open flame or device that can propagate fire to the building, structure, or other combustible materials.
Live fire training. Any fire set within a structure, tank, pipe, pan, etc., under controlled conditions to facilitate the training of firefighters under actual fire conditions.
Locking in. The act of securing oneself to a ladder by hooking a leg over a rung and placing top of foot against the other leg or against the ladder.
May. A permissive use or an alternative method to a specified requirement.
Mayday. The nationally adopted "call for help" term used to indicate that an emergency responder is in a situation of imminent peril where they are in need of immediate help.
Member. A person involved in performing the duties and responsibilities of a fire department under the auspices of the organization. A fire department member may be a full-time or part-time employee or a paid or unpaid volunteer, may occupy any position or rank within the fire department, and engages in emergency operations. Also see Employee.
Mobile attack. The act of fighting wildland fires from a moving engine.
Must. Mandatory.
NFPA. National Fire Protection Association.
NIMS. The National Incident Management System.
NIOSH. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
Nonskid. The surface treatment that lessens the tendency of a foreign substance to reduce the coefficient of friction between opposing surfaces.
Occupational exposure. Means reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.
(a) Person in charge of a particular task or assignment.
(b) A supervisor.
OSHA. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Other potentially infectious materials (OPIM).
Outrigger. Manually or hydraulically operated metal enclosures and jacks which are extended and placed in contact with the ground to give the apparatus a wide, solid base to support different loads.
Overhaul. A firefighting term involving the process of final extinguishment after the main body of a fire has been knocked down. All traces of fire must be extinguished at this time.
PACM. Presumed asbestos-containing material. Thermal system insulation and surfacing material found in buildings, vessels and vessel sections constructed no later than 1980.
PASS. Personal alert safety system.
PEL. Permissible exposure limit.
Personal protective equipment (PPE).
(a) The equipment provided to shield or isolate a person from the chemical, physical, and thermal hazards that may be encountered at a hazardous materials incident. Personal protective equipment includes both personal protective clothing and respiratory protection. Adequate personal protective equipment should protect the respiratory system, skin, eyes, face, hands, feet, head, body, and hearing.
Platform. The portion of a telescoping or articulating boom used as a working surface.
Positive communication. Visual, audible, physical, safety guide rope, or electronic means which allows for two way message generation and reception.
PPE. Personal protective equipment.
Probable fatality.
(a) An occupational injury or illness, which, by the doctor's prognosis, could lead to death.
(b) An occupational injury or illness, which by its very nature, is considered life threatening.
Protective clothing. Equipment designed to protect the wearer from heat and/or hazardous materials contacting the skin or eyes. Protective clothing is divided into five types:
(a) Structural firefighting protective clothing;
(b) Liquid splash-protective clothing;
(c) Vapor-protective clothing;
(d) High temperature-protective proximity clothing; and
(e) Wildland firefighting clothing.
See Protective ensemble.
Protective ensemble. Multiple elements of clothing and equipment designed to provide a degree of protection for firefighters from adverse exposures to the inherent risks of structural firefighting operations and certain other emergency operations. The elements of the protective ensemble are helmets, coats, trousers, gloves, footwear, interface components (hoods), and if applicable, personal alert system (PASS) devices, and self-contained breathing apparatus.
Proximity protective clothing. Radiant reflective protective garments configured as a coat and trousers, or as a coverall, and interface components that are designed to provide protection for the firefighter's body from conductive, convective, and radiant heat.
Pumper. See engine.
Qualified. One who by possession of a recognized degree, certificate or professional standing, or who by knowledge, training or experience has successfully demonstrated his/her ability to solve or resolve problems related to the subject matter, the work or the project.
Rapid intervention crew (RIC). On-scene team of at least two members designated, dedicated and equipped to effect an immediate rescue of firefighters if the need arises (also known as RIT).
RCW. Revised Code of Washington.
Rehabilitation. The process of providing mental and medical evaluation, rest, hydration, and nourishment to members who are engaged in emergency operations.
Rescue. Those activities directed at locating endangered persons at an emergency incident and removing those persons from danger.
Rescue craft. Any fire department watercraft used for rescue operations.
Respirator. A device designed to protect the wearer from breathing harmful atmospheres. See respiratory protection.
Respiratory equipment. Self-contained breathing apparatus designed to provide the wearer with a supply of respirable atmosphere carried in or generated by the breathing apparatus. When in use, this breathing apparatus requires no intake of air or oxygen from the outside atmosphere.
(a) Respirators (closed circuit): Those types of respirators which retain exhaled air in the system and recondition such air for breathing again.
(b) Respirators (open circuit): Those types of respirators which exhaust exhaled air to the outside of the mask into the ambient air.
(c) Respirators (demand): Those types of respirators whose input air to the mask is started when a negative pressure is generated by inhalation.
(d) Respirators (pressure demand): Those types of respirators which constantly and automatically maintain a positive pressure in the mask by the introduction of air when the positive pressure is lowered (usually from .018 psi to .064 psi) through the process of inhalation or leakage from the mask.
Respiratory protection. Equipment designed to protect the wearer from the inhalation of contaminants. Respiratory protection is divided into three types:
(a) Positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA);
(b) Positive pressure airline respirators;
(c) Negative pressure air purifying respirators.
Responding. The usual reference to the act of responding or traveling to an alarm or request for assistance.
Risk assessment. To set or determine the possibility of suffering harm or loss, and to what extent.
Rope rescue equipment. Components used to build rope rescue systems including life safety rope, life safety harnesses and auxiliary equipment.
Rope rescue system. A system composed of rope rescue equipment and an appropriate anchor system intended to support people during rescue, firefighting, or other emergency operations, or during training evolutions.
Safe and healthful working environment. The work surroundings of an employee with minimum exposure to unsafe acts and/or unsafe conditions.
Safety net. A rope or nylon strap net not to exceed 6-inch mesh, stretched and suspended above ground level at the base of drill tower, and at such a height that a falling body would be arrested prior to striking the ground.
Scabbard. A guard which will prevent accidental injury and covers the blade and pick of an axe or other sharp instrument when worn by the firefighter.
SCBA. Self contained breathing apparatus.
Service testing. The regular, periodic inspection and testing of apparatus and equipment according to an established schedule and procedure, to insure that it is in safe and functional operating condition.
Should. Recommended.
Standard operating procedure or guidelines. An organizational directive that establishes a standard course of action.
Standby firefighters. On-scene members designated to effect an immediate rescue of the initial team operating in the hot zone.
Station (fire station). Structure in which fire service apparatus and/or personnel are housed.
Structural firefighting. The activities of rescuing, fire suppression, and property conservation involving buildings, enclosed structures, aircraft, vehicles, vessels, or similar properties that are involved in a fire or emergency situation. See interior structural firefighting.
Structural firefighting protective clothing. This category of clothing, often called turnout or bunker gear, means the protective clothing normally worn by firefighters during structural firefighting operations. It includes a helmet, coat, pants, boots, gloves, and a hood. Structural firefighters' protective clothing provides limited protection from heat but may not provide adequate protection from the harmful gases, vapors, liquids, or dusts that are encountered during hazardous materials incidents.
Surf rescue. The rescue of a person(s) who is afloat on the surface or the subsurface retrieval of a person(s) submerged in ocean water or bodies of water that are connected to oceans that either experience a twice daily rise and fall of their surface caused by gravitational pull of the moon or experience a corresponding ebb and flow of water in response to tides with a surf height of 1 foot or greater.
Surface water rescue. The rescue of a person(s) who is afloat on the surface of a body of water. A trained rescuer (surface based swimmer) may dive for submerged victims, limited to the rescuer's ability, with no sustained underwater capability other than a mask, fins, and snorkel in relatively shallow depths and retrieve or mark a victim.
Swift water rescue. The removal of person(s) from threat or harm from water that is moving faster than walking pace (1 Knot, 1.85 km/hr, 1.15 mph).
Tail/running board. Standing space on the side or rear of an engine or pumper apparatus.
Team. Two or more individuals who are working together in positive communication with each other through visual, audible, physical, safety guide rope, electronic, or other means to coordinate their activities and who are in close proximity to each other to provide assistance in case of emergency.
Tillerman. Rear driver of tractor-trailer aerial ladder.
Trench. A narrow excavation made below the surface of the ground. The depth is generally greater than the width, but the width of a trench is not greater than 15 feet.
Turnout clothing. See structural firefighting protective clothing.
Turntable. The rotating surface located at the base of an aerial ladder, or boom, on aerial apparatus.
Uncontrolled fire. Any fire which threatens to destroy life, property, or natural resources; and (a) is not burning within the confines of firebreaks; or (b) is burning with such intensity that it could not be readily extinguished with ordinary tools commonly available.
Urban wildfire. An uncontained fire requiring suppression action, usually spreading through ground cover, vegetative fuels, brush, grass, and landscaping; often threatening residential and commercial structures within an urban environment with access to established roadways and water systems.
Vapor barrier clothing. Clothing that significantly inhibits or completely prevents sweat produced by the body from evaporating into the outside air. Such clothing includes encapsulating suits, various forms of chemical resistant suits used for PPE, and other forms of nonbreathing clothing.
Variance. An allowed or authorized deviation from specific standard(s) when an employer substitutes measures which afford an equal degree of safety. Variances are issued as temporary or permanent with interim measures issued, when requested, until a determination or decision is made.
Vessel. Means every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water, including special-purpose floating structures not primarily designed for or used as a means of transportation on water.
WAC. Washington Administrative Code.
Warm zone. The control zone outside the hot zone where personnel and equipment decontamination and hot zone support take place.
Water rescue. Any incident that involves the removal of victim(s) from any body of water other than a swimming pool. This includes rivers, creeks, lakes, washes, storm drains, or any body of water, whether still or moving.
Wheel blocks (chocks). A block or wedge placed under a wheel to prevent motion.
Wildland fire. Any nonstructure fire that occurs in the wildland.
Wildland firefighting. The activities of fire suppression and property conservation in woodlands, forests, grasslands, brush, and other such vegetation or any combination of vegetation, that is involved in a fire situation but is not within buildings or structures.
Wildland firefighting enclosure. A fire apparatus enclosure with a minimum of three sides and a bottom.
Wildland urban interface. The line, area, or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels.
WISHA. Washington Industrial Safety Health Act.
Work environment. The surrounding conditions, influences or forces to which an employee is exposed while working.
Any premises, room or other place where an employee or employees are employed for the performance of labor or service over which the employer has the right of access or control. For the purposes of this code, fireground and emergency scenes are also considered places of employment.
Work/rest ratio. An expression of the amount of rest that is required for each hour an individual is in work status. Current NWCG guidelines require one hour of rest for every two hours in work status.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 18-22-116, § 296-305-01005, filed 11/6/18, effective 12/7/18; WSR 17-02-066, § 296-305-01005, filed 1/3/17, effective 2/3/17. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060 and 29 C.F.R. 1910.156, Fire brigades. WSR 13-05-070, § 296-305-01005, filed 2/19/13, effective 1/1/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, [49.17].040, and [49.17].050. WSR 01-11-038, § 296-305-01005, filed 5/9/01, effective 9/1/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.040. WSR 99-05-080, § 296-305-01005, filed 2/17/99, effective 6/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, [49.17].050 and [49.17].060. WSR 96-11-067, § 296-305-01005, filed 5/10/96, effective 1/1/97.]
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