OSHA Updates Fire Protection Systems Manual

Firefighters are often some of the most under informed hazard safety workers in the nation.

Their stressful and urgent environment makes it all the more important for them to be informed. Seeing the need for hazardous safety information, OSHA has recently revised one of its manuals to better protect fire safety workers.

“Fire Service Features of Buildings and Fire Protection Systems” provides in-depth information on how fire personnel can more quickly resolve incidents with safety being of the utmost priority. The design of a building is critical in saving lives and property in the case of a fire, and firefighters need to be aware of this fact while conducting their routine work.

The updated manual now includes new chapters that cover water supply, and shows firefighters how they can utilize a building’s design to protect their personnel in the case of an emergency. New sections that discuss energy conservation, occupancy, and demolition phases have also been added.

The ultimate goal of the manual is to help emergency responders quickly follow procedure in the case of fires, emergencies of all kinds, non-fire rescues, and terrorist attacks.

This announcement from OSHA comes on the heels of a Denver firefighter who recently died after falling 25 feet through a skylight, and Daryl Gordon, a Cincinnati fire apparatus operator who died March 26 after falling down an elevator shaft while searching for trapped residents in a burning apartment building.

These incidents inspired Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels to revise the manual so as to provide both practical and relevant information for emergency responders so they can remain safe while doing their jobs.

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