Snohomish County Fire Chiefs Association Document #

Transcription

1 Snohomish County Fire Chiefs Association Document # Traffic Safety/Apparatus Placement Approved at General membership meeting 09/03/ Purpose The purpose of this SOG is to establish safe and consistent practices when working around moving traffic. These practices strive to ensure responder and civilian safety, appropriate traffic control, and establish minimum PPE requirements. 2.0 Agencies and Personnel Affected 2.1 Snohomish County Fire Agencies 3.0 Reference 3.1. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices U. S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Best Practices for Emergency Vehicle and Roadway Operations Safety in the Emergency Service Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, International Association of Firefighters, Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice 2010 ISBN X 3.3. Emergency Vehicle Safety Initiative FA-272 Federal Emergency Management Agency U.S. Fire Administration August Traffic Incident Management Handbook U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration 3.January Traffic Incident Management Systems FA-330 U.S. Fire Administration March 2012

2 4.0 Policy 4.1 It is the intent of (Organizations Name) to provide a safe and healthy work environment. This Guideline is intended to help ensure employee and public safety on emergency scenes that are on public roadways or in close proximity to moving machinery. 5.0 Definitions Advanced Notice Blocking Buffer Zone Cones Downstream Flagger Gore Point Lane Number Information, usually provided through devices or signage, intended to inform the motorist of upcoming road conditions. Positioning apparatus to form a physical barrier for a Work Zone (WZ). Space between a blocking apparatus and the WZ; also the area between passing traffic and the WZ. Traffic cones; short and tall, collapsible and rigid, illuminated and non-illuminated. Direction traffic is moving as it travels away from an incident scene. Member assigned to monitor approaching traffic and warn crews if the actions of an approaching motorist do not conform to established traffic control measures in place at an incident. The gore point is the triangular area formed when one lane merges or splits into another such as a freeway on or off ramp. It is usually outlined in white. Identifying numbers given to lanes of travel. Facing direction of travel and counting from the right, lanes are numbered in whole numbers beginning with 1. Note: roads with less than three lanes may be defined as inside and outside lanes of travel.

3 Safety Vests Shadow Shoulder Taper Transition Zone Upstream WZ Retro-reflective vests worn by employees on or near roadway incidents and when otherwise required. Some employees are issued individual vests. Enough safety vests shall be assigned to each apparatus sufficient to outfit the expected crew number. Shall meet current Federal specifications. Protected locations created by apparatus positioning for patients, equipment, and emergency responders operating at an incident scene. Lanes or area next to travel lanes. Shoulders are designated by which side of the road they are on while facing the direction of travel, i.e., right or left. Merging several lanes of moving traffic into fewer moving lanes. Lanes of a roadway in which approaching motorists change speed and position to comply with traffic control measures established for an incident scene. Direction that traffic is coming from as vehicles approach the incident scene. Work Zone. The physical area where emergency personnel perform rescue, EMS, or firefighting operations. Also Work Area. 6.0 Procedure Scene safety is paramount when working near moving traffic and machinery. Below are basic scene safety and general traffic control guidelines that shall be incorporated to affect a safe working environment at incidents on or near public and private streets and roadways. 6.1 The first-arriving Fire Department apparatus shall park in such a manner to block the incident scene and create a buffer zone large enough to accommodate parking for necessary resources that will subsequently be needed at the incident (Appendix A). When available a second apparatus shall be placed upstream from the first arriving unit to create a secondary buffer zone. (Appendix B).

4 6.2 Whenever possible the apparatus shall be parked so that the operator/pump panel is in the protected shadow. 6.3 The apparatus operator shall park the vehicle with the wheels turned away from the incident scene thereby directing the vehicle away from the activity area in the event the apparatus is struck while parked in a blocking manner. 6.4 Cones should be deployed by the first-arriving apparatus to affect a taper and redirect traffic as needed. Employees deploying cones shall always face traffic and anticipate vehicle encroachment into the WZ. Cones shall be placed not greater than 15 feet apart and extend from the beginning of the lane being tapered to the apparatus. Cones shall be deployed to protect the buffer zone and emergency scene ending at a termination point beyond the scene. 6.5 Units arriving after the blocking apparatus has established a buffer zone shall park in the shadow of the blocking apparatus, close and parallel to the fog line whenever practical. 6.6 Caution shall be used when opening doors and compartments and exiting fire apparatus on active roadways. 6.7 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shall be worn when working on or around active roadways or machinery. A helmet with the chin strap pulled snug, safety shoes, and traffic safety vest shall be the minimum PPE used when working on a roadway. PPE shall be worn consistent with incident conditions. The only exceptions to wearing a traffic safety vest are crews engaged in actual firefighting activities. 6.8 Incident Command shall be established at street and roadway emergencies. 6.9 The Incident Commander (IC) shall direct responding apparatus to safe locations either within the buffer zone or other sites close by that allow safe ingress to and egress from the emergency scene Vision-impairing lights such as headlights shall be turned off while parked so as to not blind approaching drivers. All emergency lights shall be turned on when parked at an emergency scene on a roadway. 7.0 Appendix 7.1 Appendix A Emergency Responder Safety Institute single engine traffic control diagram 10/29/201

5 7.2 Appendix B Best Practices for Emergency Vehicle and Roadway Operations Safety in the Emergency Service Section 7 pg. 139 Two engine response diagram

6 Appendix A

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8 Appendix B