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OSHA inspects RB fire stations
by George Wiley
The California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal-OSHA) is investigating the Redondo Beach Fire Department for possible violations after an anonymous complaint was filed with Cal-OSHA last October.
Inspectors from Cal-OSHA were at both Fire Station One and Fire Station Two this week looking into the alleged violations.
Redondo City Manager Louis Garcia confirmed that the OSHA inspection was taking place but would not say what the inspectors sought.
Dean Fryer, an OSHA spokesman in Sacramento also confirmed the inspections but wouldn't discuss details. Fryer did say that a complaint had been filed with his agency Oct. 22, 1999. He said OSHA had six months from that date to complete the inspection.
Pete Villasenor, president of the Redondo Beach Firefighters Association, said he had been at city meetings with OSHA inspectors. But Villasenor said the union was not the complaining party.
Villasenor said the OSHA inspection involved three areas of possible violation:
1. A possible violation of a federal regulation called the "two-in, two-out rule." The two-in, two-out rule requires that firefighters operate in teams when involved with a structure fire or other hazardous situation in such a way that a buddy system be used by those entering the hazardous area. Additionally, a second buddy team at minimum must be available outside to come to the assistance of those entering the hazardous area, such as the inside of a burning building.
2. Communicable disease controls to protect workers on the job from infecting one another or spreading communicable diseases. Workers must also take steps to protect themselves on the job from diseases carried by those they are caring for or treating.
3. Whether the city's injury and illness prevention program is in place citywide, as required by law, and whether that program is being applied throughout the city.
According to one departmental source who asked not to be named, the possible violation of the two-in, two-out rule may be tied to the transfer of personnel from Fire Station Number Two to the Redondo Harbor Patrol after the Redondo Fire Department took over the Harbor Patrol. The Harbor Patrol was expanded to three persons and the harbor patrol officers became firefighters with that merger, the source said. As a result Fire Station Two was reduced from eight firefighters to seven, a possible violation of two-in, two-out.
Villasenor said the RBFA had not taken an official stance the harbor department's merger into the fire department.
Villasenor said the union is waiting, along with city officials, to see what OSHA inspectors say in their report. "Basically, it's a free consultation with an outside expert," Villasenor said. "We're all just waiting to see what he comes up with."
Villasenor said the union had not taken up the matter of inspection at its meetings and all personnel in the department except for the fire chief were union members. He said firefighter safety ranked ahead of wages and hours as a matter to be followed by the union. "It doesn't matter how much money you make if you don't make it home that night," he said.ER.