A Guide to Safety Showers & Eye Washes

Accidents happen. In the laboratory these accidents often involve chemicals as containers are dropped, bumped into, knocked over or otherwise mishandled. When these chemical accidents involve contact with clothes, skin or eyes it is essential that you have already properly located your safety showers and eye washes. When an accident happens it is too late.

The Standard for Safety Showers and Eye Washes

The most widely recognized reference for the proper location, operation and testing of both safety showers and eye washes is The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) Z358.1.

This standard gives specific direction on equipment performance, operation requirements, installation and testing. For more information you may also want to check with your industrial hygienist or safety officer.

Definitions

So what is a safety shower and how is it different from an eye wash?

A safety shower is a device that enables a user to have water cascading over the entire body at one time.
An eye wash is a unit that is used to irrigate and flush the eyes and does not cover the entire body.
A hand held drench hose is a combination of both and consists of a flexible hose connected to a water supply and used to flush the eyes, face and body areas although not all at one time.
Common Types of Safety Showers and Eye Washes

Safety Showers

Ceiling Shower - This type is located overhead and is typically activated by a chain or lever.

Floor-mounted Combination Safety Shower/Eye Wash - This is a combination of a safety shower, an eye wash and in some cases a drench hose.

Deck mounted drench hose - Located on a lab bench, this type of safety shower is usually a hand held, squeeze handle activated unit, and is useful in spot-washing.

Eye Washes

Gravity Feed, Self Contained - These are stand-alone units with the water supply provided by pre-filled water tanks. They provide the worker with emergency eye wash treatment in areas of the building or plant inaccessible to plumbing.

Faucet-mounted - Provides continuous water flow while freeing hands to pin eyelids. It turns a standard faucet into a practical emergency eye wash station.

Laboratory Bench - Sprays with a squeeze handle and can be installed through the bench top for instant availability.

Swivel Eye Wash - Mounts on lab bench or counter top adjacent to sink. It swivels 90 degrees over the sink for use, or out of the way for storage.

Bowl mounted - Provides continuous water flow through a freestanding plumbed unit. The bowl may be directed to a floor drain or connected directly to a sewer connection for easy testing and use.

Basic Requirements

Regardless of the type of unit you select each should meet the following ANSI requirements.

Safety Showers
- Unit must be capable of delivering .4 gallons of water per minute for 15 minutes.
- Protect outlet heads with float-off dust covers.
- Controlled, low velocity flow completely rinses eyes and is not injurious to users.
- Valve actuator shall be large enough to be easily located and operated by the user.
- "Hands-free" stay-open valve activates in one second or less.
- Connect unit to uninterruptible water supply with at least 30 PSI flow pressure.
- Outlet heads shall be positioned between 33" and 45" from the floor and at least 6" from the wall or nearest obstruction.
- Identify eye wash with highly visible sign. Area around eye was shall be well lighted.
- Install eye wash unit within 10 seconds and 100' of hazard.
- Instruct all employees in the proper use of emergency eye wash.
- Test eye wash at least weekly. Clean and maintain as required.