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Hey Chief's: Do you have a LIPSTICK backing policy?
Sometimes missed in our busy administrative and operational lives but is something that must be taken seriously for positive firefighter safety... So do you really have an apparatus backing policy or is the non-written rule just LIP SERVICE to our brothers?
I could easily bring up some case studies from highly preventable LODD's with ugly pictures but do we really need to? Should the incidents of the past continue to go unheeded? To me this is just another no brainer like wearing our seatbelts during response and thought I would share a basic SOG template drafted by one of my recent students...
Fire Department Standard Operating Guideline - Apparatus Backing and PlymoVent Exhaust Hose Procedures
Purpose: The purpose of this procedure is to reduce potential accidents and injury by establishing a safe method for backing all fire and rescue apparatus at the fire department
Procedure:
1. Backing of all Fire Department Apparatus:
A. Operational Procedure
1. When a piece of fire department equipment is in need of re-positioning
and requiring the apparatus to back up, another fire department member
shall assist the driver / operator. The driver of the apparatus shall be
responsible for requesting a back-up safety person if operating the
apparatus alone.
2. The person designated to be the back up person shall exit the vehicle
and position themselves on the driver’s side of the apparatus.
3. The apparatus shall remain parked until the apparatus bay door is
located in the full open position and visual contact has been confirmed
between the driver and the designated back-up person.
4. The back-up person shall signal the driver to begin his or her safe backing operation into the
apparatus bay. If for any reason the back-up person wants to terminate the operation, the back
-up person shall signal with both arms crossed in an X.
5. If radio communication between driver and the safety back-up person are available, (via: the
apparatus mobile radio and a firefighter’s portable radio) this method shall be the preferred
choice for all backing communications compared to the above described visual hand signals.
6. Backing apparatus at night shall require the safety back-up person to be wearing an ANSI
approved hi-vis vest and his or her personal flashlight at all times. The flashlight shall
illuminate the safety back- up person in low light conditions.
7. The driver of the fire department apparatus is responsible for any and all actions /
operations/procedures of his or her apparatus.
B. Apparatus Backing Procedures Stations Equipped With Plymovent
Apparatus that are assigned to a station equipped with a Plymovent Exhaust System have an added hazard when backing into the station.
Upon returning to the station and apparatus backing procedures commence; the following procedure will be added to the previous backing guideline during the attachment of the vehicle exhaust system.
1. The backing procedure stated previously will be in effect.
2. Upon proper positioning of the apparatus, the safety back-up person shall signal or
communicate to stop the apparatus.
3. The driver of the apparatus shall place the driveline transmission of the apparatus into NEUTRAL. At no time shall any firefighter attempt to connect the exhaust system hose while the apparatus is in ANY driveline gear.
4. The back-up person shall confirm the apparatus is no longer in reverse by confirming the audible back-up alarm has shut off before walking around the back of the apparatus to attach the exhaust system’s hose.
5. After the attachment of the exhaust system hose and the exhaust unit is in operation, the safety back-up person shall return to the driver’s side backing position, establish visual contact with the driver and signal to begin backing again.
6. The completion of the apparatus backing shall continue as described in the above listed procedure.
AUTHENTICATION:
SOP: 09-O-067
Number of Pages: 2
Date of Issue: 10 October 2009
Approved by:__________
Revised: ______________ 2
I could easily bring up some case studies from highly preventable LODD's with ugly pictures but do we really need to? Should the incidents of the past continue to go unheeded? To me this is just another no brainer like wearing our seatbelts during response and thought I would share a basic SOG template drafted by one of my recent students...
Fire Department Standard Operating Guideline - Apparatus Backing and PlymoVent Exhaust Hose Procedures
Purpose: The purpose of this procedure is to reduce potential accidents and injury by establishing a safe method for backing all fire and rescue apparatus at the fire department
Procedure:
1. Backing of all Fire Department Apparatus:
A. Operational Procedure
1. When a piece of fire department equipment is in need of re-positioning
and requiring the apparatus to back up, another fire department member
shall assist the driver / operator. The driver of the apparatus shall be
responsible for requesting a back-up safety person if operating the
apparatus alone.
2. The person designated to be the back up person shall exit the vehicle
and position themselves on the driver’s side of the apparatus.
3. The apparatus shall remain parked until the apparatus bay door is
located in the full open position and visual contact has been confirmed
between the driver and the designated back-up person.
4. The back-up person shall signal the driver to begin his or her safe backing operation into the
apparatus bay. If for any reason the back-up person wants to terminate the operation, the back
-up person shall signal with both arms crossed in an X.
5. If radio communication between driver and the safety back-up person are available, (via: the
apparatus mobile radio and a firefighter’s portable radio) this method shall be the preferred
choice for all backing communications compared to the above described visual hand signals.
6. Backing apparatus at night shall require the safety back-up person to be wearing an ANSI
approved hi-vis vest and his or her personal flashlight at all times. The flashlight shall
illuminate the safety back- up person in low light conditions.
7. The driver of the fire department apparatus is responsible for any and all actions /
operations/procedures of his or her apparatus.
B. Apparatus Backing Procedures Stations Equipped With Plymovent
Apparatus that are assigned to a station equipped with a Plymovent Exhaust System have an added hazard when backing into the station.
Upon returning to the station and apparatus backing procedures commence; the following procedure will be added to the previous backing guideline during the attachment of the vehicle exhaust system.
1. The backing procedure stated previously will be in effect.
2. Upon proper positioning of the apparatus, the safety back-up person shall signal or
communicate to stop the apparatus.
3. The driver of the apparatus shall place the driveline transmission of the apparatus into NEUTRAL. At no time shall any firefighter attempt to connect the exhaust system hose while the apparatus is in ANY driveline gear.
4. The back-up person shall confirm the apparatus is no longer in reverse by confirming the audible back-up alarm has shut off before walking around the back of the apparatus to attach the exhaust system’s hose.
5. After the attachment of the exhaust system hose and the exhaust unit is in operation, the safety back-up person shall return to the driver’s side backing position, establish visual contact with the driver and signal to begin backing again.
6. The completion of the apparatus backing shall continue as described in the above listed procedure.
AUTHENTICATION:
SOP: 09-O-067
Number of Pages: 2
Date of Issue: 10 October 2009
Approved by:__________
Revised: ______________ 2
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Dunbar on
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I think you have the right idea when it comes to this policy. Here is a question I have for you. In my department you have to back the rig partially into the station till the exhaust pipe reaches the plymovent, or pull it in on the stations that have drive through bays, and who ever sits on that side of the apparatus hooks up the hose. Do you feel the person hooking up that hose over a period of years is going to get a whole more exposure to the exhaust, to the point where it might be a whole lot healthier/safer to just pull in the truck shut it down, then hook up the plymovent? It may be different where you operate just curious of your opinion.
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We don't have any written proceedures on backing apparatus but we all know that before that piece backs up, you better have someone spotting you. If not you (the driver) will get an ass reaming from hell. You'll make sure it doesn't happen again. As far as the plymovent goes, you have made me take a closer look at this. We usually hook it on as the apparatus is backing into the station. Huge mistake. I regret not seeing this before. I'm going to bring this up at our next board meeting. It has to be changed before we get someone hurt.
Thank you.
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Permalink Reply by FETC on
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Kevin,
The individual that attaches the exhaust system hose is yes, taking on more "exposure" than the rest of the crew but the exposure level is far below the STEL or the TWA. The real issue with not connecting the hose and just backing the truck in comes with the chronic exposure of the toxins to the building, the offices or dayrooms and especially if you store your turnout gear in the apparatus bay on hooks. The gear in which we use to protect us, is now covered in cancer casuing agents from non-direct vent apparatus exhaust... and we put that gear on, sweat in it and eventually get personally contaminated through the route of skin absorbtion.
The exhaust system greatly reduces all of that... my thread was more specifically on how to concentrate on NOT backing over someone while backing and connecting the apparatus exhaust system.
TCSS
FETC
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
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Great topic, and your procedures are pretty similar to ours.
I would add something about the driver rolling down his/her window before backing to be able to hear verbal warnings from bystanders. I know that the back-up person should have everything/everyone in sight and accounted for, but this is not always the case.
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Thanks Joe your points are well taken.
This was supposed to be a little brain teaser...
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Permalink Reply by Paul Montpetit on
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With our Department it is sadly depending on who is operating the equipment....It gets ignored way too often and sooner or later someone is going to get hurt....BUT...I am a Pee-on (spelled correctly) in the Department and voice is cast upon deaf ears......Paul
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I hear you Paul. We have suffered at least (2) LODD's that I know of in 2009 with brothers being backed over at incident scenes. After a class discussion about firefighter safety, I decided to post a document on FFN so it may be used to potentially prevent future accidents.
Godspeed our brothers in Elizabeth, NJ and Marlboro, VT. - "Lost but not forgotten"
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