1. (1) System components means safety harnesses, belts, ascending devices, carabiners, descent control devices, rope grab devices, and snap links.
2. (2) Escape rope means a single purpose, single use, emergency escape (self-rescue) rope.
3. (3) Interior structural fire fighting means 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.
4. (4) Interior structural fire fighter means a firefighter who is designated by their employer to perform interior structural firefighting duties in an immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) atmosphere and is medically qualified to use self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as defined in 29 CFR 1910.134.

5. (5) Entrapment at elevations means a situation where a firefighter finds the normal route of exit is made unusable by fire, or other emergency situation, that requires the firefighter to immediately exit the structure from an opening not designed as an exit, that is above the ground floor and at an elevation above the surrounding terrain which would reasonably be expected to cause injury should the firefighter be required to exit.

   (e) Specifications for escape ropes and system components.

   Escape ropes and system components provided to firefighters shall conform to the requirements of “The National Fire Protection Association Standard 1983, Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services” in effect at the time of their manufacture. Escape ropes and system components purchased after the effective date of this section shall conform to the 2006 edition (NFPA1983-2006) of such standard.

   (f) Risk assessment and equipment selection.

6. (1) Each employer who employs firefighters shall develop a written risk assessment to be used to determine under what circumstances escape ropes and system components will be required and what type will be required to protect the safety of firefighters in its employ. In performing the assessment, the employer shall:

   1. (i) identify the types and heights of buildings and other structures in the area the firefighters are expected to work. Such area shall include the regular scope of the fire district or other area covered by the fire department in question as well as any other districts or communities to which the fire department provides mutual aid with a reasonably predictable frequency;
   2. (ii) assess the standard operating procedures followed by the department with regard to rescue of firefighters from elevations;

   3. (iii) identify the risks to firefighters of being trapped at an elevation during structural fire fighting operations given the types of buildings or other structures located in the area(s) in which firefighters are expected to work. Identification of the risk in question shall include an assessment of:

      1. (a) the extent to which standard operating procedures already in place will mitigate the risks identified;
      2. (b) the type of escape ropes and system components that will be necessary to protect the safety of firefighters if operating procedures do not sufficiently mitigate the risk.

7. (2) Should the risk assessment establish that firefighters employed by the department performing interior structural firefighting are reasonably expected to be exposed to the risk of entrapment at elevations, the employer shall provide to each interior structural firefighter in its employ a properly fitted escape rope and those system components which meet the specifications for such rope and system components set forth in subdivision (e) of this section and which would mitigate the danger to life and health associated with such risk.

   (g) Training.

8. (1) The employer shall ensure that each firefighter who is provided with an escape rope and system components is instructed in their proper use by a competent instructor. Instruction shall include the requirements of subdivision (h) of this section and the user information provided by the manufacturer as required by NFPA 1983 chapter 5.2 for each rope and system component.
9. (2) Instruction shall include hands-on use of the equipment in a controlled environment.

10. (3) A record of such instruction including the name of the individual being trained, the name of the individual delivering the training, and the date on which the training was provided shall be maintained by the employer until such time as the firefighter is no longer employed by the employer or the employer delivers a subsequent training on this topic, whichever comes first.

    (h) Employer duties.

    In addition to the duties set forth in subdivisions (f) and (g) of this section, employers covered by this section shall have the following duties:

11. (1) to ensure the adequacy of the safety ropes and system components, the employer shall routinely inspect and ensure that:

    1. (i) existing safety ropes and system components meet the codes, standards, and recommended practices adopted by the commissioner;

    2. (ii) existing safety ropes and system components still perform their function by taking precautions to identify any of their limitations through reasonable means, including, but not limited to:

       1. (a) checking the labels or stamps on the equipment;
       2. (b) checking any documentation or equipment specifications; and
       3. (c) contacting the supplier or approval agency;
    3. (iii) firefighters are informed of the limitations of any safety rope or system components;
    4. (iv) firefighters are not allowed or required to use any safety rope or system components beyond their limitations;
    5. (v) existing or new safety ropes and system components have no visible defects that limit their safe use;
    6. (vi) safety ropes and system components are used, cleaned and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions;
    7. (vii) firefighters are instructed in identifying to the employer any defects the firefighter may find in safety ropes and system components; and

    8. (viii) any identified defects are corrected or immediate action is taken to eliminate the use of the equipment by:

       1. (a) ensuring that escape rope and system components with defects which are repairable are tagged as unsafe and stored in such a manner that they cannot be used until repairs are made;
       2. (b) ensuring that escape ropes and system components that cannot be repaired are immediately destroyed or rendered unusable as an escape rope and system components; and
       3. (c) ensuring that any escape rope that has been utilized under load for the purpose of self rescue/emergency escape is immediately removed from service, destroyed, or rendered unusable as an escape rope and immediately replaced;
12. (2) the employer's routine inspection cycle required by this subdivision shall be based upon the volume of activity the department undertakes but, in no case, any less frequently than once each month.

(a) Title and citation.

Within and for the purposes of the Department of Labor, this section may be known as Code Rule 800.7, Emergency Escape and Self Rescue Ropes and System Components for Firefighters, specifying the requirements for safety ropes and associated system components.

(b) Purpose and intent.

This rule is intended to ensure that firefighters are provided with necessary escape rope and system components for self rescue and emergency escape and to establish specifications for such ropes and system components.

(c) Application.

This section shall apply throughout the State of New York to the State, any political subdivision of the State, Public Authorities, Public Benefit Corporations or any other governmental agency or instrumentality thereof employing firefighters within the meaning of section 27-a of the Labor Law.

This section shall not apply to such employers located in a city with a population of over one million.

(d) Definitions.

Within this section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: