Bill Text: NY S02652 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires employers to provide safety ropes and system components to firefighters.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-01-27 - REFERRED TO LABOR [S02652 Detail]
Download: New_York-2011-S02652-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 2652 2011-2012 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E January 27, 2011 ___________ Introduced by Sen. KRUGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Labor AN ACT to amend the labor law, in relation to requiring employers to provide safety ropes and system components to firefighters; and to repeal paragraph e of subdivision 1 of section 27-a of such law relat- ing to the definition of "system components" THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Paragraph e of subdivision 1 of section 27-a of the labor 2 law is REPEALED. 3 S 2. Paragraph c of subdivision 4 of section 27-a of the labor law, as 4 amended by chapter 433 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as 5 follows: 6 c. [Except for] NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPHS A AND B 7 OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGU- 8 LATIONS TO ENSURE EMPLOYERS PROVIDE FOR THE RAPID EGRESS BY FIREFIGHTERS 9 WHEN ENGAGED IN FIRE SUPPRESSION ACTIVITIES AT ABOVE GRADE FLOORS DURING 10 A STRUCTURE FIRE. SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS SHALL NOT APPLY TO an 11 employer located in a city with a population of over one million[, any 12 employer who employs a firefighter shall provide safety ropes and system 13 components for use by such firefighter. The commissioner shall by rule 14 adopt the codes, standards and recommended practices promulgated by the 15 most recent edition of National Fire Protection Association 1983, Stand- 16 ard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope and System Components, and as are 17 appropriate to the nature of the risk to which the firefighter shall be 18 exposed. Such safety ropes and system components shall be adequate to 19 protect the health and safety of the firefighter. The employer shall 20 ensure that the firefighter is instructed in the proper use of the safe- 21 ty ropes and system components. 22 In order to ensure the adequacy of the safety ropes and system compo- 23 nents, the employer must routinely inspect and ensure that: EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07060-01-1 S. 2652 2 1 (1) Existing safety ropes and system components meet the codes, stand- 2 ards and recommended practices adopted by the commissioner. 3 (2) Existing safety ropes and system components still perform their 4 function and to identify any of their limitations such as but not limit- 5 ed to: 6 (i) Checking the labels or stamps on the equipment; and 7 (ii) Checking any documentation or equipment specifications; and 8 (iii) Contacting the supplier or the approval agency; 9 (3) Firefighters are informed of the limitations of any safety ropes 10 and system components; 11 (4) Firefighters are not allowed or required to use any safety ropes 12 or system components beyond their limitations; 13 (5) Existing and new safety ropes and system components have no visi- 14 ble defects that limit their safe use; 15 (6) Safety ropes and system components are used, cleaned, maintained 16 and stored according to manufacturer's instructions; 17 (7) The firefighter is instructed in identifying to the employer any 18 defects that the firefighter may find in safety ropes and system compo- 19 nents; and 20 (8) Any identified defects are corrected or immediate action is taken 21 by the employer to eliminate the use of this equipment]. 22 S 3. This act shall take effect immediately provided that the commis- 23 sioner of labor shall promulgate regulations required by this act by 24 December 1, 2011.