Safety Showers and Eyewashes Best Practices Before, During and After Worksite Emergencies

Does your emergency response program ensure easy and close access to a 15-minute flush of tepid water for all employees near all worksite hazards?

This is a tall order for many facilities.

Despite best intentions, many worksites’ safety equipment and plans are not always in compliance with ANSI standards, which poses an enormous safety risk to workers, management and businesses. 

Consider the following strategies for establishing a solid worksite safety program that improves processes before, during and after an injury occurs:

Understand emergency equipment

It’s a good idea to research what types of safety shower equipment are appropriate for different types of hazards. In general:

• Emergency eyewash stations
  • Effective for spills, splashes, dust or debris likely to affect only the eyes
  • Provides a controlled flow of water to both eyes simultaneously
  • Delivers an uninterrupted, 15-minute supply of tepid water. Plumbed units can supply a greater volume of water – between 2.0 and 5.0 gallons per minute (7.5 and 19.0 liters per minute).
• Emergency eye/face wash stations
  • Used when the entire face is at risk from spills, splashes, dust and debris
  • Irrigates the eyes and face simultaneously 
  • Provides a large distribution pattern of water – a minimum of 3.0 gpm (11.4 lpm) – to rinse the eyes and entire face
• Emergency showers
  • Used when larger areas of the body are at risk
  • Flushes a larger portion of the body but is not appropriate for the eyes (a combination eyewash and drench shower may be used to simultaneously flush the eyes and rinse larger areas of the body)
  • Delivers flushing fluid of 20 gpm (75.71 lpm)

ANSI requires that all emergency showers must be designed and installed so that when activated they can be used without requiring the use of the operator’s hands.

When selecting new equipment, newer models are recommended, as product manufacturers are always looking for new technology to improve efficacy of eyewash stations and showers. In the past few years, for example, fluid dynamics technology has improved product performance, attained better washdown over greater areas of the face and body, and helped increase user comfort.

Designate emergency response practices

Employees need to be trained on the purpose, proper use and location of fixtures; this includes how to alert emergency medical response teams during an emergency.

Signaling devices, which are connected to showers and eyewashes, help employees contact and expedite emergency medical response. When safety equipment is activated, the signaling devices automatically turn on a highly visible flashing light and a loud sound designed to cut through ambient noise. The signaling systems draw attention to the specific emergency location, alert management to contact first responders, and provide remote monitoring of equipment.

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