Employer responsibilities. The employer must ensure all fixed and portable fire protection systems needed to meet an OSHA standard for employee safety or employee protection from fire hazards in land-side facilities, including, but not limited to, buildings, structures, and equipment, meet the requirements of this section.

Portable fire extinguishers and hose systems.

The employer must select, install, inspect, maintain, and test all portable fire extinguishers according to NFPA 10-2002 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5).

The employer is permitted to use Class II or Class III hose systems, in accordance with NFPA 10-2002 (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5), as portable fire extinguishers if the employer selects, installs, inspects, maintains, and tests those systems according to the specific recommendations in NFPA 14-2003 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5).

General requirements for fixed extinguishing systems. The employer must:

Ensure that any fixed extinguishing system component or extinguishing agent is approved by an OSHA Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, meeting the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.7, for use on the specific hazards the employer expects it to control or extinguish;

Notify employees and take the necessary precautions to ensure employees are safe from fire if for any reason a fire extinguishing system stops working, until the system is working again;

Ensure all repairs to fire extinguishing systems and equipment are done by a qualified technician or mechanic;

Provide and ensure employees use proper personal protective equipment when entering discharge areas in which the atmosphere remains hazardous to employee safety or health, or provide safeguards to prevent employees from entering those areas. See § 1915.12 for additional requirements applicable to safe entry into spaces containing dangerous atmospheres;

Post hazard warning or caution signs at both the entrance to and inside of areas protected by fixed extinguishing systems that use extinguishing agents in concentrations known to be hazardous to employee safety or health; and

Select, install, inspect, maintain, and test all automatic fire detection systems and emergency alarms according to NFPA 72-2002 National Fire Alarm Code (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5)

Fixed extinguishing systems. The employer must select, install, maintain, inspect, and test all fixed systems required by OSHA as follows:

Standpipe and hose systems according to NFPA 14-2003 Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5);

Automatic sprinkler systems according to NFPA 25-2002 Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-based Fire Protection Systems, (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5), and either (i) NFPA 13-2002 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5), or (ii) NFPA 750-2003 Standard on Water Mist Fire Protection Systems (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5);

Fixed extinguishing systems that use water or foam as the extinguishing agent according to NFPA 15-2001 Standard for Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5) and NFPA 11-2005 Standard for Low-, Medium-, and High-Expansion Foam (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5);

Fixed extinguishing systems using dry chemical as the extinguishing agent according to NFPA 17-2002 Standard for Dry Chemical Extinguishing Systems (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5); and

Fixed extinguishing systems using gas as the extinguishing agent according to NFPA 12-2005 Standard on Carbon Dioxide Extinguishing Systems (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5); NFPA 12A-2004 Standard on Halon 1301 Fire Extinguishing Systems (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5); and NFPA 2001-2004 Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems (incorporated by reference, see § 1915.5).

[69 FR 55706, Sept. 15, 2004; 71 60847, Oct. 17, 2006]