OSHA EYEWASH AND SHOWER STATION STANDARDS
OSHA describes there should be an eyewash / shower available in any situation “…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.” – OSHA
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) created a compliance checklist for employers. As seen in the diagram below – Eye wash stations should be within 10 seconds (approximately 55 feet) reach from any possible eye or skin irritant, should be a controlled Low Velocity flow, and the until should deliver at least 3.0 gallons of water.
Simply installing emergency equipment is not sufficient to assure worker safety. Employees must be trained in the location of emergency equipment and in its proper use. Emergency equipment must be regularly maintained (including weekly activation of the equipment) to assure that it is in working order and inspected at least annually for compliance with the standard. Most importantly, employers should develop a response plan to be used in the event that an accident does occur. The focus of the response plan should be to provide assistance to the injured worker as quickly as possible.
ANSI guide (Click here to downloaed the full ANSI Compliance Checklist)
**Note: This ANSI Compliance Checklist is intended to assist design personnel, facility owners and others in selecting, specifying, installing and maintaining emergency equipment. We have tried to assure that it is comprehensive and accurate. However, please refer to the complete ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014 standard before purchasing or installing emergency equipment. Guardian Equipment cannot be responsible for any errors or omissions from this Checklist, and cannot assure that any particular product will perform satisfactorily in any particular application**