In any environment where hazardous chemicals are utilized, emergency showers and eyewash stations are essential safety elements. It’s rare to walk into a laboratory without stumbling upon one, and with good reason: When a person comes into close contact with a hazardous chemical, the first 15 seconds after exposure are crucial for avoiding significant harm. While good personal protective equipment (PPE) and process engineering can reduce the danger of exposure, you must still ensure that your safety shower & eyewash station are operational if they are needed. It’s not enough to just put them up on your site and forget about it.
Rather, there are a few things you can do to make sure they’re ready in case of an emergency:
Following are specific requirements for all safety shower & eyewash stations:
- Must be available in an accessible area within 15 seconds of the hazardous accident.
- Must be placed at a location free of any barriers that hinder immediate use and on the same level as the hazard without any stairs in between.
- The area where the safety shower & eyewash station is placed must be clearly visible, well-lit, and positioned with a sign.
- The safety shower & eyewash station must deliver a 10 minute plus continuous flow.
- The placement of the equipment must be in areas where caustic or hazardous substances are present.
- It should feature an on-off valve, pull strap, or door that can be activated in one second or less with a single move.
- They must be inspected at least once a year to ensure that they are safe.
- For activities involving pulp, paper, and paperboard manufacture, formaldehyde handling, the construction sector, anhydrous ammonia, powered industrial trucks, telecommunications, and hazardous products, emergency showers, and/or eyewash stations are necessary.
Know Your Hazards
- When deciding on an eyewash station, one of the first things to consider is the following question: what are the potential threats that could harm your employees?
- Foreign particles, such as metal slivers, wood chips, or dust, are the most common in construction; but others may be exposed to chemicals or infectious diseases as a result of working in labs or with sick people/animals.
- The numerous features that your facility will require will vary depending on the kind of threats you will be confronted with.
The next step is to determine if a plumbed or portable station from Spill Kit Suppliers Australia is the best answer for your hazards.
Plumbed stations have been around for a long time and are a solid choice. They are, however, costly and do not allow the freedom to relocate as needed.
Another factor to consider is that official safety regulations require that all plumbed eyewash systems be activated on a weekly basis for two reasons:
- Verify that everything is working properly.
- Remove any germs, dirt, or mould that has accumulated in the pipes.
A portable safety and eyewash stations, on the other hand, are self-contained and may be moved as needed to accommodate changing task areas or risks. They don’t need to be activated every week, and the fluids they use can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years.
Final Words
Wherever dangerous chemicals are employed, eyewash and safety showers are essential for protecting health and safety.
The aforementioned best practises will keep your company in compliance while also ensuring that your emergency shower and eyewash station will work correctly if needed.
In addition to these suggestions, we recommend that you stay proactive and avoid risky situations wherever feasible.
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