The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 states that, “the workers at the workplace should be provided with the safest working conditions”. OSHA works on two regulations, general and specific. This regulation applies on emergency eyewash and shower equipment.
The general requirements for emergency eyewash and shower equipment state the need of these equipments to be available at the work area for immediate emergency use. At the workplace, the workers are exposed to injurious corrosive materials so there should be emergency eyewash and shower to facilitate workers for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes if some mishap occurs.
The specific regulation is for certain industries like telecommunication industry, paper-manufacturing industry, or other places where hazardous materials are being used. The two regulations, general and specific, state as to where and when these emergency eye wash and shower equipment is required/available, however, it does not identify the installation set-up equipment and minimum operating requirements. The America National Standards institute (ANSI) has provided the standard for operating and installing these equipments.
The ANSI specifies the following standards for safety equipments.
SHOWERS (Plumbed and Self-Contained)
Plumbed Shower
It is an emergency shower, which is connected permanently with a source of portable water.
Self-Contained Shower:
As the name implies it has its own flushing fluid that can be refilled and replaced after use.
The specifications for plumbed showers are as follows;
1. Heads
The head must be positioned 82"--96" from floor. Similarly, there should be 20” at 60” diameter spray pattern above the floor. The flow rate also has specifications of 20 gallons per minute at 30 pounds per square inch. The spray pattern should also be 16 inches away from any obstacle.
2. Valves
The valves should be activated within 1 second, and should not require the use of hand to open them, however; they will remain ON until the user shuts it off.
3. Installation
The location of the shower should be not more than 10 seconds of reach, and should be placed at well-lit area. The shower should be identified with a sign and located at the same level as the hazard.
4. Maintenance and Training
The maintenance of equipment is always necessary, and the plumbed showers should be activated weekly to ensure proper and smooth working. The employees should be trained to use these showers in case they are exposed to a chemical splash. The inspection of showers is also necessary, and according to ANSI, a shower should be inspected annually.
EYE WASHES (Plumbed and Gravity-Feed)
Plumbed Eye Wash:
Similar to plumbed shower wash, it is an emergency eyewash, which is connected permanently with a source of portable water.
Gravity-Feed Eye Wash:
It is an eye wash that has its own flushing fluid that can be refilled and replaced after use.
The specification of eyewashes is pretty much similar to showers in terms of valves, installation, and maintenance & training; however, the heads must be positioned as ANSI standard for eyewashes.
EYE/FACE WASH
It is a device used for dual purposes to irrigate and flush both the face and the eyes. The device also has specifications standard for heads, valves, maintenance, and training. All the specifications are same as showers except heads specification, which must be positioned 33"--45" from floor and 6" from wall or nearest obstruction.
DRENCH HOSES
These hoses are used for multiple purposes to facilitate irrigation and flushing of eyes, face, and body areas in case of any mishap.
Article Directory : http://www.articlecube.com
