Are you Properly Selecting and Maintaining your Emergency Equipment Selection?
Here are a few guidelines for staying in compliance with eyewashes, eye/face wash combos and drench showers.
There’s no doubt that when it comes to ANSI Z358.1 requirements, it can be overwhelming to stay on top of weekly and annual testing. However, the importance of properly working equipment cannot be overlooked. Thousands of industrial and commercial accidents occur each year, involving pipes bursting and chemicals like corrosives (acids and bases), oxidizers and solvents. In many environments, the first line of defense is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as gloves and goggles.
The second line is emergency response equipment that you can rely on. ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 guidelines call for ready access to emergency equipment, including eyewashes, eye/face wash combos or drench showers. These important pieces of equipment are tasked with diluting and/or removing hazardous materials from contact with victims’ bodies. However, because of the virtually unlimited combination of hazardous materials, applications that use them and other complicating factors like facility size and layout, selection of equipment type and specific features is left up to the specifier. This rather nebulous circumstance often leaves facility teams wondering which is the “right” choice for their application.
Many people feel there is little difference between the various types of eyewashes, eye/face washes and drench showers. However, proper selection is a function of knowing your risks, the characteristics of the materials you work with and logical consideration of the variety of available products and design configurations for usage and testing.
As with any commercial products, emergency equipment design balances the desire for specific features and capabilities weighed against costs. Features like pressure compensating flow controls, diffused and/or otherwise cushioned flushing fluid outlets and heavy-duty componentry may be more expensive, but well worth it in each application.
The ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2004 standard provides a guide to aid manufacturers, specifiers and the general public relative to emergency eyewash and shower equipment. It also advises those concerned with compliance to obtain local medical input regarding risks and countermeasures. This review is not meant to be an interpretation of the standard, nor is it intended to replace the advice of a competent medical professional. Instead, the following information is aimed at developing a logical thought process that comprehends your specific circumstances and considers the various alternative product features and designs.
This article originally appeared in the August 2020 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
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Are you Properly Selecting and Maintaining your Emergency Equipment Selection? - Occupational Health and Safety
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