11/12/2008

What Does OSHA Mean by a "Suitable" Emergency Shower and Eyewash?

By Barb Garrison, M.S., CHMM, CET

What Does OSHA Mean by a "Suitable" Emergency Shower and Eyewash?

A good question that doesn't have a clear answer! The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has adopted several regulations that refer to the use of emergency eye wash and shower equipment. The primary regulation is contained in 29 CFR 1910.151, which requires that:

"...where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use."

Employers who use formaldehyde are required to provide quick drench showers for employees who may become splashed with solutions of one percent or greater formaldehyde, and emergency eyewashes for employees whose eyes may be splashed with solutions containing 0.1 percent or more of formaldehyde.

Here's what OSHA says about picking a suitable shower/eyewash: "The degree of sophistication of the emergency shower (and eyewash) varies with the size of
the potential splash."

Huh? In other words, it's up to the employer to determine what is suitable based on workplace conditions. Now, OSHA does reference the American National Standards Institute's (ANSI's) Z358.1 standard which provides detailed information regarding the installation and operation of emergency showers/eyewashes, but OSHA has not formally adopted the standard so it can't enforce it!

Bottom line: You must have an emergency shower and eyewash in case an employee is splashed with formaldehyde. How it is configured is largely up to the employer. However, here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting this equipment:

Emergency Showers:
* Should be plumbed to tepid (preferred) or cold water only.
* Should be designed to deliver 20 gallons of water per minute for 15 minutes.
* Should be installed so that it can be reached within 10 seconds, and it must be on the same floor with unobstructed travel path.
* An employee should be able to activate it with one hand and it should have a "hands-free," stay-open valve.
* You should test the shower at least monthly to ensure proper operation.

Eyewash Stations:
* Should be plumbed to tepid (preferred) or cold water only.
* Should be designed to deliver three gallons of water per minute for 15 minutes.
* Should be installed so it can be reached within 10 seconds, and it must be on the same floor with unobstructed travel path.
* There should be caps on the eye pieces to protect the spray heads from contaminants these must pop off when the eyewash station is activated.
* An employee should be able to activate it with one hand so they can use their hands to hold their eyelids open.
* The eyewash should have a "hands-free," stay-open valve.
* You should test the eyewash at least monthly to ensure proper operation.

If you have any questions about the information in this article or any other health, safety or environmental issue, please contact me at bgarrison@safex.us or by phone,
toll-free, at 866-723-3987.