NFPA 1500 Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program

Help ensure your department or emergency response organization has the knowledge it needs to mitigate the risks of on-the-job hazards.

The challenges of keeping fire fighting and emergency service personnel safe and healthy are always changing. NFPA 1500™, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program, 2021 edition is revised to account for the latest industry trends, developments, and best practices.

The standard offers comprehensive criteria and performance requirements for career, volunteer, private, and military fire departments and organizations that provide rescue, fire suppression, emergency medical services, hazardous materials mitigation, special operations, and other emergency services. You get the information to help safely control on-the-job hazards, reduce accidents and injuries, and improve performance and effectiveness.

Content covers:

• Firefighter training
• Use of protective clothing and equipment
• Vehicles, tools, and equipment
• Emergency operations
• Medical and physical requirements
• Exposure to fireground toxic contaminants
• Incident stress

NFPA 1500 features updated requirements for developing, implementing, and maintaining an occupational safety, health, and wellness program.

For the 2021 edition, the most current research and information about cleaning equipment and personnel were utilized to enhance those sections of the standard. In Chapter 14, the term preliminary exposure reduction provides requirements that include science-based techniques for fire departments and their members to clean equipment and themselves after exposure to a routine fire incident. Initial exposure reduction is separate from decontamination from a hazardous materials incident, and more exposure reporting and tracking requirements for members and departments are included. It is intended these requirements will create detailed records for members of when and how long they were exposed to contaminants—records that could assist in future research, medical needs, diagnoses, and more.

Prioritize safety in your department by complying with the latest edition of the standard.

NFPA 1500, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program, is a vital document for helping to protect personnel from work-related dangers. Order your copy of the 2021 edition today.

Table of Contents: 

Chapter 1 Administration

1.1 Scope.
1.2 Purpose.
1.3 Application.
1.4 Equivalency.
1.5 Adoption Requirements.

Chapter 2 Referenced Publications

2.1 General.
2.2 NFPA Publications.
2.3 Other Publications.
2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections.

Chapter 3 Definitions

3.1 General.
3.2 Official NFPA Definitions.
3.3 General Definitions.

Chapter 4 Fire Department Administration

4.1 Fire Department Organizational Statement.
4.2 Risk Management Plan.
4.3 Safety and Health Policy.
4.4 Roles and Responsibilities.
4.5 Occupational Safety and Health Committee.
4.6 Records.
4.7 Appointment of the Health and Safety Officer.

Chapter 5 Training, Education, and Professional Development

5.1 General Requirements.
5.2 Member Qualifications.
5.3 Training Requirements.
5.4 Special Operations Training.
5.5 Member Proficiency.
5.6 Training Activities.

Chapter 6 Fire Apparatus, Equipment, and Drivers/Operators

6.1 Fire Department Apparatus.
6.2 Drivers/Operators of Fire Department Apparatus.
6.3 Riding in Fire Apparatus.
6.4 Inspection, Maintenance, and Repair of Fire Apparatus.
6.5 Tools and Equipment.

Chapter 7 Protective Clothing and Protective Equipment

7.1 General.
7.2 Protective Clothing for Structural Fire Fighting.
7.3 Protective Clothing for Proximity Fire-Fighting Operations.
7.4 Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations.
7.5 Protective Clothing and Equipment for Fire Inspections.
7.6 Chemical-Protective Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergency Operations.
7.7 Inspection, Maintenance, and Disposal of Chemical-Protective Clothing.
7.8 Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting.
7.9 Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Operations.
7.10 Protective Clothing and Equipment for Surface Water Operations.
7.11 Protective Clothing for Fire Investigators.
7.12 Respiratory Protection Program.
7.13 Breathing Air.
7.14 Respiratory Protection Equipment.
7.15 Fit Testing.
7.16 Using Respiratory Protection.
7.17 SCBA Cylinders.
7.18 Personal Alert Safety System (PASS).
7.19 Life Safety Rope and System Components.
7.20 Face and Eye Protection.
7.21 Hearing Protection.
7.22 Ballistic Protective Equipment.
7.23 New and Existing Protective Clothing and Protective Equipment.

Chapter 8 Emergency Operations

8.1 Incident Management.
8.2 Communications.
8.3 Crew Resource Management (CRM) During Emergency Operations.
8.4 Risk Management During Emergency Operations.
8.5 Personnel Accountability During Emergency Operations.
8.6 Members Operating at Emergency Incidents.
8.7 Emergency Incident Hazard Control Zones.
8.8 Rapid Intervention for Rescue of Members.
8.9 Rehabilitation During Emergency Operations.
8.10 Scenes of Violence, Civil Unrest, or Terrorism.
8.11 Post-Incident Analysis.

Chapter 9 Traffic Incident Management

9.1 Reserved.
9.2 Emergency Operations at Traffic Incidents.
9.3 Placement of Apparatus and Warning Devices.
9.4 Use of Apparatus as a Blocking Device.

Chapter 10 Facility Safety

10.1 Safety Standards.
10.2 Inspections.
10.3 Maintenance and Repairs.
10.4 Station Alerting.
10.5 Contamination Control Inside Facilities.

Chapter 11 Medical and Physical Requirements

11.1 Medical Requirements.
11.2 Physical Performance Requirements.
11.3 Health and Fitness.
11.4 Confidential Health Data Base.
11.5 Infection Control.
11.6 Fire Department Physician.
11.7 Fitness for Duty Evaluations.

Chapter 12 Behavioral Health and Wellness Programs

12.1 Behavioral Health Program.
12.2 Wellness Program.

Chapter 13 Occupational Exposure to Potentially Traumatic Events

13.1 General.

Chapter 14 Exposure to Contaminants

14.1 Training.
14.2 Prevention and Mitigation.
14.3 Risk of Exposure to Contaminants.
14.4 Cleaning and Maintenance.
14.5 Mitigation of Contaminant Exposure.
14.6 Incident Contaminant Reduction and Personal Hygiene.
14.7 Exposure Reporting Requirements.
14.8 Exposure Report Retention and Access.

Annex A Explanatory Material
Annex B Monitoring Compliance with a Fire Service Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program
Annex C Building Hazard Assessment
Annex D Risk Management Plan Factors
Annex E Selection of Hazardous Materials and CBRN Protective Ensembles
Annex F Sample Facility Inspector Checklists
Annex G Informational References