1926.150(c): Portable Firefighting Equipment

(c) Portable firefighting equipment — 369 citations

(1) Fire extinguishers and small hose lines. Open (c)(1) 369 citations

(i) A fire extinguisher, rated not less than 2A, shall be provided for each 3,000 square feet of the protected building area, or major fraction thereof. Travel distance from any point of the protected area to the nearest fire extinguisher shall not exceed 100 feet. Open (c)(1)(i) 128 citations

(ii) One 55-gallon open drum of water with two fire pails may be substituted for a fire extinguisher having a 2A rating.

(iii) A 1⁄2-inch diameter garden-type hose line, not to exceed 100 feet in length and equipped with a nozzle, may be substituted for a 2A-rated fire extinguisher, providing it is capable of discharging a minimum of 5 gallons per minute with a minimum hose stream range of 30 feet horizontally. The garden-type hose lines shall be mounted on conventional racks or reels. The number and location of hose racks or reels shall be such that at least one hose stream can be applied to all points in the area.

(iv) One or more fire extinguishers, rated not less than 2A, shall be provided on each floor. In multistory buildings, at least one fire extinguisher shall be located adjacent to stairway. Open (c)(1)(iv) 82 citations

(v) Extinguishers and water drums, subject to freezing, shall be protected from freezing.

(vi) A fire extinguisher, rated not less than 10B, shall be provided within 50 feet of wherever more than 5 gallons of flammable or combustible liquids or 5 pounds of flammable gas are being used on the jobsite. This requirement does not apply to the integral fuel tanks of motor vehicles. Open (c)(1)(vi) 40 citations

(vii) Carbon tetrachloride and other toxic vaporizing liquid fire extinguishers are prohibited.

(viii) Portable fire extinguishers shall be inspected periodically and maintained in accordance with Maintenance and Use of Portable Fire Extinguishers, NFPA No. 10A-1970. Open (c)(1)(viii) 119 citations

(ix) Fire extinguishers which have been listed or approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, shall be used to meet the requirements of this subpart. Open (c)(1)(ix)

(x) Table F-1 may be used as a guide for selecting the appropriate portable fire extinguishers. Open (c)(1)(x)

(2) Fire hose and connections.

(i) One hundred feet, or less, of 11⁄2-inch hose, with a nozzle capable of discharging water at 25 gallons or more per minute, may be substituted for a fire extinguisher rated not more than 2A in the designated area provided that the hose line can reach all points in the area.

(ii) If fire hose connections are not compatible with local firefighting equipment, the contractor shall provide adapters, or equivalent, to permit connections.

(iii) During demolition involving combustible materials, charged hose lines, supplied by hydrants, water tank trucks with pumps, or equivalent, shall be made available.