R 408.17310 Employer responsibilities.

Rule 7310. (1) The employer having a fire brigade shall prepare and maintain a statement or written policy that establishes the existence of a fire brigade; and the basic organizational structure; the type, amount, and frequency of training to be provided to fire brigade members; the expected number of members in the fire brigade; and the functions that the fire brigade is to perform at the workplace. The statement or written policy shall be available for inspection by the director of the department of labor and economic opportunity or his or her authorized representative and by employees or his or her authorized representatives. (2) The employer shall ensure that employees who are expected to do structural firefighting are physically capable of performing duties that may be assigned to them during emergencies. The employer shall not permit employees with known heart disease, epilepsy, or emphysema to participate in fire brigade emergency activities unless a physician’s certificate of the employees’ fitness to participate in such activities is provided. (3) The employer shall provide training and education for all fire brigade members commensurate with those duties and functions that fire brigade members are expected to perform. Such training and education shall be provided to fire brigade members before they perform fire brigade emergency activities. Fire brigade leaders and instructors shall be provided with training and education that is more comprehensive than that provided to the general membership of the fire brigade. Training and education records must be maintained and be made available for inspection by the director of the department of labor and economic opportunity or his or her authorized representative and by an employee or his or her authorized representative. (4) An employer shall ensure that training and education is conducted frequently enough to ensure that each member of the fire brigade is able to perform the member’s assigned duties and functions satisfactorily and in a safe manner so as not to endanger fire brigade members or other employees. All fire brigade members shall be provided with training at least annually. In addition, fire brigade members who are expected to perform interior structural firefighting shall be provided with an education session or training at least quarterly. (5) An employer shall inform fire brigade members about hazards, such as the storage and use of flammable liquids and gases, toxic chemicals, radioactive sources, and water reactive substances, to which they may be exposed during a fire and other emergencies. The fire brigade members shall also be advised of any changes that occur in relation to the hazards. (6) An employer shall develop written procedures that describe the actions to be taken in situations involving hazards and shall include these written procedures in the training and education program. An employer shall make the procedures available for inspection by fire brigade members.