Emergency shower and
eye wash equipment
 
 
"Today's safe workplaces demand
advanced safety shower
and eye wash equipment"
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was enacted to assure that
workers are provided with “safe and healthful working conditions.” Under this law, the Occupational Safety and
Heath Administration (OSHA) was created and authorized to adopt safety standards and regulations to fulfil the
mandate of improving worker safety.
 OSHA has adopted several regulations
that refer to the use of eye wash and emergency shower
equipment. The primary regulation is contained in 29 CFR 1910.151, which requires that “...where
the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick
drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency
use.”
The eye wash station and
emergency safety shower.....
Employers should
look for signs of hazardous materials. Look for areas where workers are using personal protective equipment such as
goggles and liquid proof gloves and make sure the eye wash station and emergency shower drench are within the
required distance as stated by:
Guide to the American National Standard for Emergency
Shower and Emergency Eye Wash Equipment ANSI Z358.1-2004
By not complying with the ANSI standard, OSHA may elect to impose
penalties from warnings and fines to rare plant shutdowns.
 It's important to note
that emergency eye wash and emergency shower drench
units are designed to deliver water to rinse contaminants
from a user's eyes, face or body. As such, they are a form of first aid equipment to be used in the event of
an accident.
However, they are NOT a substitute for primary protective
devices such as eye and face protection and protective clothing. Again, a safety shower is not an alternative
to safe procedures for handling hazardous materials.
It is imperative that eye wash and safety shower
units meeting ANSI Z358.1-2009 be within 10
seconds travel time from a hazard. However, there are other considerations and, in this regard, please
see Safety shower location Information.
This Standard also requires that safety shower valves be of a simple operation; that they turn off to on in one
second or less, and provide hands free operation once activated. The Standard also requires that the flushing
fluids be tepid.
 Emergency shower and eye wash
stations provide on-the-spot decontamination and allow
personnel to flush away hazardous substances that can cause injury. Splashing accidents demand prompt and
effective action. The affected body part should be flushed for a minimum of 15 minutes using a clean supply of
flushing fluid under low pressure.
Emergency showers are designed to flush the user’s head and body. They can also be used effectively in
flushing contaminants from clothing. The safety showers should not be used to flush the user’s eyes because the
high rate of water flow could cause damage.
Eye and face wash
stations are designed to flush both eyes and face
simultaneously at a velocity low enough to be non - injurious to the user. Medical help should be sought
immediately after the first aid has been given.
Emergency showers should be used in all chemical
and cryogenic handling areas, in battery rooms and in all situations where clothing, fires or impingement burns may
occur.
Consideration should be given to the possible need
for multiple emergency shower installations based upon access distance and the possibility that more than one
person may be affected at the same time.
To identify hazards in your workplace please
visit: Workplace Hazard
Identification
emergency shower
safety shower
eye wash
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