Emergency Response

As discussed, OSHA is making significant revisions to its Fire Brigade standard.  And in the DRAFT version, OSHA establishes a minimum staffing level for working/entering an IDLH atmosphere.  Many of you who are part of or manage the fire brigade may recall that OSHA has made room for “judgment” regarding staffing available and performing life-saving…...

This provision of the draft standard would, based on the type and level of service(s) established by the Emergency Service Organizations (ESO), require the ESO to establish minimum medical requirements based on the tiers of responder duties, tasks, and responsibilities. A qualified healthcare professional would perform the medical evaluation of the responders. The medical evaluation…...

The proposed OSHA standard will NOT apply to all public sector emergency responders. The scope is limited to Emergency Service Organizations (ESOs) and responders under OSHA’s jurisdiction. ONLY public ESOs that are in state plan states are under OSHA’s jurisdiction and therefore the analysis excludes public ESOs and responders in non-state-plan states. The following states…...

If you deal with emergency planning and response to releases of hazardous substances you can take a deep breath and have a sigh of relief… OSHA is NOT touching its HAZWOPER standard under its proposed revision to its emergency response standards.  The changes OSHA is proposing will apply ONLY to its Fire Brigade standard, 1910.156. …...

Who might be covered by a new Emergency Response standard? The draft Emergency Response standard would apply to employers that mitigate a hazard in an emergency response situation and the activity is currently covered by 29 CFR 1910.156, or is not covered by another OSHA standard. The standard would apply to, but not be limited…...

Have you seen OSHA’s proposed ER standard?  It will replace 1910.156 and encompass all aspects of emergency response, such as firefighting, fire rescue, emergency medical service, technical rescue (rope/high angle, cave, etc.), vehicle/machinery rescue, water rescue/recovery (land/shore-based, Swiftwater, underwater), search and rescue (urban, mountain, wilderness).  I have gone through the proposed standard and structured it…...

OSHA updated a 2017 Letter of Interpretation in January 2021 and it is causing quite a stir in the anhydrous ammonia (NH3) fertilizer industry and could have impacts on other industries that use NH3.  In this revised LOI, OSHA states… … Therefore, OSHA believes it is possible, and indeed likely, that any given release of…...

Back in February, I broke down the Chemical Safety Board’s new Chemical Incident Reporting Rule (40 CFR Part 1604) and since then we have conducted quite a few safety reviews, emergency response training sessions, and PSM/RMP audits and so far we have not found a single facility that has updated their Emergency Response and/or Emergency…...

OSHA currently regulates aspects of emergency response and preparedness; some of these standards were promulgated decades ago, and none were designed as comprehensive emergency response standards.  Consequently, they do not address the full range of hazards or concerns currently facing emergency responders, and other workers providing skilled support, nor do they reflect major changes in…...

ME-OSHA issued two (2) Willfuls and six (6) serious citations to the Fire Department regarding the Sept. 16, 2019 explosion that killed a Captain in a propane explosion. The citations include up to $22,000 in potential fines for the town relating to violations of equipment and training standards. Here is a breakdown of the citations:…...