| (a) The regulated entity shall develop, maintain, and
comply with written standard operating procedures that adhere with
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Final Rule, 29
CFR Section 1910.134(g)(4) by requiring:
(1) a team of at least four fire protection personnel
must be assembled before an interior fire attack can be made when
the fire has progressed beyond the incipient stage;
(2) at least two fire protection personnel to enter
the IDLH atmosphere and remain in visual or voice (not radio) contact
with each other;
(A) visual means that the fire protection personnel
must be close enough to see each other; and
(B) voice means that the fire protection personnel
of the entry team must be close enough to speak to one another without
the use of radios;
(3) at least two fire protection personnel remain located
outside the IDLH atmosphere to perform rescue of the fire protection
personnel inside the IDLH atmosphere;
(4) all fire protection personnel engaged in interior
structural fire fighting use self-contained breathing apparatus and
be clothed in a complete set of protective clothing as identified
in Chapter 435;
(5) all fire protection personnel located outside the
IDLH atmosphere be equipped with appropriate retrieval equipment where
retrieval equipment would contribute to the rescue of the fire protection
personnel who have entered the IDLH atmosphere;
(6) one of the outside fire protection personnel must
actively monitor the status of the inside fire protection personnel
and not be assigned other duties. The second outside fire protection
personnel may be assigned to an additional role, including, but not
limited to, incident commander, safety officer, driver-operator, command
technician or aide, or fire fighter/EMS personnel, so long as this
individual is able to perform assistance or rescue activities without
jeopardizing the safety or health of any fire protection personnel
working at the scene;
(7) All fire protection personnel entering an IDLH
atmosphere must be equipped with an operable portable radio; and
(8) each outside fire protection personnel must have
a complete set of protective clothing and self-contained breathing
apparatus, as identified in Chapter 435, immediately accessible for
use if the need for rescue activities inside the IDLH atmosphere is
necessary.
(b) The regulated entity shall comply with the 2-in/2-out
rule as described in this section except in a reasonable belief of
an imminent life-threatening situation when immediate action could
prevent the loss of life or serious injury before the team of four
fire protection personnel are assembled.
(c) Whenever there is a variance to these procedures,
a supplemental report must be submitted to the Texas Commission on
Fire Protection, documenting the rationale used to deviate from these
written procedures.
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