My Confusion Surrounding NFPA Standards and Rope Rescue Equipment

1
My Confusion Surrounding NFPA Standards and Rope
Rescue Equipment
2

• Excerpts taken from Jim Kovachs ITRS
  presentation with permission.
• Presentation called Why the fire service should
  ingnore NFPA 1983

3
How it started...

• I started as a rescuer
• Was involved in equipment purchasing
• Wanted to ensure the correct legislation/standards
  were followed
• Received conflicting information from others in
  the field
• Looked at other rescue providers

4
Just so we are clear...

• I support the use of NFPA standards
• I follow them in my training courses
• Other equipment I do use that is not NFPA rated
  meets or exceeds their requirements

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First Conflicting Advice

• You should only use NFPA rated equipment
• (based on the 1983 standard)

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First ProblemRope rescue gear that is not
covered by NFPA...

• Belay devices
• Prussik cord
• Webbing
• Stretchers and litters
• Casualty harnesses (rescue diaper)

• Load releasing hitches
• Bridles

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So what does your organization use for belay???

• 540 is rated as L or G to
• NFPA 1983 under pulleys

• The MPD is G
• rated under the
• designation of pulley and descent control
  device

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Standards NFPA has, that most rescue teams dont
use

• NFPA 1951 for helmets (The majority of rescue
  teams use the petzl Vertex or Erin Roc)
• Portable anchors in 1983 for tripods (there is
  only 1 on the market for purchase anyway..)
• Anchor straps in 1983 (most teams use webbing or
  the PMI Vari Rigger, neither are NFPA rated)

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First Conclusion

• You require gear that is not NFPA rated
• Dont just choose gear because of the standard
  but because of
• Safety factor
• System compatibility

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Second conflict

• NFPA states that you can not use L-rated
  equipment for a 2 person load, only G-rated

Do they????
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NFPA 1983

• Old versions for G rated equipment stated
• 600 lb MWL 2- person
• New version states
• The definition of general use is One
  designation of equipment item or manufactured
  systems designed for general-use loads, light-use
  loads, and escape based on design loads and
  performance requirements. End of quote. The
  key phrase here is based on design loads.

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• Why the change?
• Why did they remove the 2-person 600 lb
  statement?
• Who is 1983 for?
• Is a 2 person rescue load really 280kg?

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More confusion...

• G rope MBS 40kN
• G pulleys MBS 36kN
• G Descent control device MBS 22
• G pick off strap 27 kN
• G rated auxiliary equipment have 6 different
  MBS 45kN, 40kN, 36Kn, 27kN, 22kN and 11 kN????

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As an instructor I was told..

• You cant use 11mm rope for rescue on our site,
  it is only L rated!
• 11mm New England KMIII rope MBS 35 kN
• The G rated friction device I use to control the
  rescue load MBS 22kN
• Why cant I use it?

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Excerpt from Jim Kovachs ITRS presentation in
2005

• One of the questions submitted to the NFPA was
  Can light-use life safety rope be used to support
  multiple persons (two or more)? These are the
  answers received from the NFPA. Mr. Frank
  Florence, the NFPA Staff Liaison to 1006 gave the
  following opinion.
•  
• Question Can light-use life safety rope be used
  to support multiple persons (two or more)?
•  
• Answer Rope use techniques are outside the scope
  of this document. Rope standards are covered in
  NFPA 1983, Standard on Fire Service Life Safety
  Rope and System Components.

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• The question submitted to Bruce Teele, the NFPA
  Staff Liaison to 1983 for the 2001 edition was
  different but relevant
•  
• Question How is the design load for life safety
  rope determined?
•  
• Answer Users of rope need to consider the types
  of operations expected to be performed, the loads
  the rope is expected to bear, and set purchase
  specifications at or above the requirements of
  NFPA 1983 to assure the safety deemed necessary
  for such operations and loads will be met by
  their equipment.

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• Questions 1 and 2 Is it the intent of 1983
  to establish a safety factor for rope or
  auxiliary equipment? If so, what is the safety
  factor?
• Answer On Questions 1 and 2, The scope
  statements in Section 1 of NFPA 1983 do not
  address safety factors but do address that the
  standard is based on minimum design, performance,
  testing, and certification requirements. Safety
  factors, as such, are not specified in NFPA 1983.

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• Mr. Donald C. Cooper, past secretary and current
  chairman of 1670, supplied the following opinion
  during a telephone conversation
•  
• Question Can light-use life safety rope be used
  to support multiple persons (two or more)?
•  
• Answer NFPA 1670 does not describe how specific
  techniques are done, nor does it prohibit any
  technique. That would be up to the AHJ.

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As Jim Kovach put it.....

• And here is another question for the fire
  service. If we can use a general use rated
  descender with a MBS of 4,946 lbf or a general
  use rated rope grab with a MBS of 2,500 lbf,
  then why cant we use an aluminum carabiner with
  a light use rating of 6,069 lbf along with
  them? Thats a rating of 1,123 pounds stronger
  than the general use descender and 3,569 pounds
  stronger than the general use rating of the
  rope grab.

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Conclusion 2

• Chose gear certified to an approved/recognized
  standard with a MBS that fits within your safety
  factor
• Focus more on studying and understanding our
  system safety factors and less on a standard that
  was not written for us

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Third Conflict

• The NFPA states that you must achieve a 151
  safety factor
• or
• The NFPA states that you must achieve a 101
  safety factor
• Does the NFPA recommend a safety factor?

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• Conversation from chat posts on firehall.com

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From Jim Kovachs report

• Questions concerning NFPA 1670 were answered in a
  telephone conversation with the chairman of that
  committee.
•  
• Question Does 1670 require or recommend a 151
  safety factor for rope rescue?
• Answer No
•  
• Question Does 1670 require or recommend a 101
  safety factor for rope rescue?
• Answer No
•  
• Question Does 1670 have a required or
  recommended safety factor for rope rescue?
• Answer NFPA does not require or specify any
  safety factor.

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• Question Does 1500 require a 151 safety factor
  for rope rescue?
•  
• Answer NFPA 1500 requires life safety rope meet
  NFPA 1983.
•  
• Question Does 1500 require a certain safety
  factor for rope rescue? If so, what is it?
•  
• Answer NFPA 1500 requires life safety rope meet
  NFPA 1983.

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• The 151 safety factor myth came from NFPA 1983
  (old versions) where they stated for the
  manufacturers that life safety rope is to be
  designed with a SWL of 600lbf and a MBS of
  9000lbf
• I have come across Depts who have 16mm rope
  trying to achieve this!

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• It is up to your organization what your static
  system safety factor will be
• Choose it because it meets your risk assessments
• 101 is a standard industry practice

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Conclusion

• Before we quote standards , we must know for sure
• Just because someone says it doesn't make it true
• Choose equipment that fits within your SSSF