Is your facility in need for new emergency equipment? Before investing the time and money in buying new equipment, it is critical that the correct product is sought after. Perhaps you work at a chemical plant and the risk of hazardous chemicals to be splashed in the facial area is high. The best solution in this case is an eye/face wash rather than just an eyewash that will only cleanse the eyes and not the face as well. Chemical reach may not only harm the eye area, which is why an eye/face wash is the best solution.

Once you have identified the proper type of equipment to invest in, refer to the ANSI Z358.1 standard for training, testing, installation, maintenance, location, and use. Here is a quick reference guide to what is expected out of each category of emergency equipment:

• Eyewash: Efficient to injuries affecting only the eyes. Must have a simultaneous, uninterrupted, and controlled flow to both eyes.
• Eye/face wash: Risk of injuries include the entire face as well as eyes. Must have a large enough dispensation of water to reach both the eyes and face.
• Emergency shower: Used when a greater area of the body is at risk of injury. Water must cover a larger portion of the body and can also be used simultaneously with an eye wash or eye/face wash.

Find the emergency equipment that best suits your workplace here!

We frequently hear comments from safety professionals that showers and eyewashes are rarely used and in turn they receive little attention. Yet, small overlooks can lead to large repercussions  that can affect a company financially. Recently, a company was fined over $25,000 for safety violations including not providing the appropriate emergency eyewashes and showers at a plant that works with caustic chemicals. These types of violations are common and while the financial impacts are great, the increased injury damage to a victim who did not receive the adequate emergency response can be greater.

To read more, see the article below:

OSHA has cited Alabama-based Industrial Insulation Group for five serious health and safety violations for exposing workers to caustic chemicals, among other hazards. According to a report from OSHA, the agency began an inspection following a January 2014 complaint about the facility’s allegedly hazardous working conditions. The company faces $41,800 in proposed fines.

OSHA issued one repeat violation ($27,500 in proposed penalties) for failing to provide workers exposed to gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane with an eyewash station and shower, as the chemical can cause irritation and damage to the eyes, skin, and kidneys. The company was cited for a similar violation at the same facility in February 2013. In addition, the company was cited for three serious violations for not providing an eye and body wash shower for employees working with formaldehyde, failing to provide training on safety and health hazards for workers exposed to formaldehyde, and exposing workers to dangerous moving machine parts ($14,300 in proposed fines).

“It is troubling to know that while this employer initially corrected the hazard after OSHA issued a previous citation, it did not maintain the necessary safety standards. Although, this employer knew to provide eyewash and a shower for employees working with caustic chemicals, it continued to expose workers to the same hazard,” said Joseph Roesler, OSHA’s area director in Mobile.

[via OH&S]

There were 27,450 workplace non-fatal eye injuries that resulted in days out of work reported in the U.S. in 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of those, about 10% were from chemical burns. There were undoubtedly many more exposure injuries that did not result in days of lost work, probably because they were treated quickly in eyewash stations.

The specification and installation of emergency showers and eyewashes requires careful consideration of several factors, most of which are driven by the specific needs and risks of a given business as well as the requirements of ANSI Z358.1 (American National Standard Institute).

Here are five important factors to consider:

1) Equipment Location

2) Assure Visibility

3) Product Suitability

4) Tempered Water Requirement

5) Assure Proper Maintenance

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