(1) All previously purchased life safety ropes, harnesses, and hardware used by fire departments must meet the applicable requirements of the 2001 edition of NFPA 1983, Standard on Life Safety Rope and System Components. Ropes and equipment purchased after the effective date of this rule must meet the 2006 edition of NFPA 1983, Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services.

(2) Ropes used to support the weight of members or other persons during rescue, firefighting, other emergency operations, or during training evolutions must be life safety rope.

(3) Life safety rope used for rescue at fires, or other emergency incidents, or for training, must be permitted to be reused if inspected before, and after, each such use in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and provided:

(a) The rope has not been visually damaged by the exposure to heat, direct flame impingement, chemical exposure, or abrasion.

(b) The rope has not been subjected to any impact load.

(c) The rope has not been exposed to chemical liquids, solids, gases, mists, or vapors of any materials, known to deteriorate rope.

(d) If the rope used for rescue at fires or other emergency incidents, or for training, has been subjected to (a), (b), or (c) of this section, or fails the visual inspection, it must be destroyed after such use.

(e) If there is any question regarding the serviceability of the rope after consideration of the above, the safe course of action must be taken and the rope must be placed out of service. See Appendix B.

(f) Rope inspection must be conducted by qualified inspectors in accordance with rope inspection procedures established and recommended as adequate by the rope manufacturer to assure rope is suitable for reuse.

(4) Fire departments must establish written procedures for the use of life safety ropes and rescue operations utilizing harnesses and ropes.

(5) Records must provide a history of each life safety and training rope. The minimum information to be reflected in the record of history of life safety and training ropes must include: Date of manufacturer, organization serial number, date of use, type of use, date of inspection, inspectors name and space for comments.

(6) The destruction of a rope means that it must be removed from service and altered in such a manner that it could not be mistakenly used as a life safety rope. This includes disposal or removal of labels and cutting into short lengths to be used for utility purposes.

(7) All repairs to life safety harnesses must be done by an authorized manufacturer's representative, or the manufacturer.

(8) At a minimum, ladder belts must be used for firefighter attachment to ladders and aerial devices.

(9) Class II and Class III life safety harnesses must be utilized for fall arrest and rappelling operations. Class III harnesses must be used when the potential to become inverted exists.

(10) Life safety ropes must be padded when deployed over edges or rough surfaces.