Page 12 - Occupational Health & Safety, January 2018

EMERGENCY SHOWERS & EYEWASH
General ANSI Compliance
As with all emergency shower applications, it is vital for affected users to drench with safety showers that provide tepid water in compliance with the ANSI/ISEA Z358.1- 2014 standard. ANSI calls for emergency eyewashes and drench showers to deliver tepid water (60-100° F/15.5-37.7° C) for a full 15 minutes to ensure adequate flushing of hazardous materials from users’ bodies and/or eyes. A compliant drench shower must provide this tepid water at a flow rate of 20 gpm (76 lpm) for the entire 15-min- ute duration.
People in extremely cold environments
may be less willing to drench for the entire 15 minutes if the water is not tepid. In ad- dition, extended exposure to cold air and water can lead to hypothermia and make the affected person even more disinclined to remove clothing. Conversely, water that is too hot can cause chemical reactions with eyes and skin or scalding. Further, for immediate and easy access, ANSI recom- mends that stations be within 10 seconds or 55 feet (17 meters) from a potential hazard.
Types of Emergency
Shower Equipment
After analyzing conditions and identifying
potential hazards, a facility’s emergency eyewash and drench shower needs can be assessed. Appropriate equipment should be selected based on the level of exposure to workers. In general:
■ Emergency eyewash stations
- effective for spills, splashes, dust,
or debris likely to affect only the eyes
- provide a controlled flow of wa-
ter to both eyes simultaneously
- deliver an uninterrupted,
15-minute supply of tepid water. Plumbed units can supply a greater volume of wa- ter—between 2.0 and 5.0 gallons per min- ute (7.5 and 19.0 liters per minute).
■ Emergency eye/face wash stations - used when the entire face is at
risk from spills, splashes, dust, and debris
- irrigate the eyes and face simul-
taneously
- provide a large distribution pat-
tern of water—a minimum of 3.0 gpm (11.4 lpm)—to rinse the eyes and entire face.
■ Emergency showers
- used when larger areas of the
body are at risk
- flush a larger portion of the body
but are not appropriate for the eyes (a com- bination eyewash and drench shower may be used to simultaneously flush the eyes and rinse larger areas of the body)
- deliver flushing fluid of 20 gpm (75.71 lpm)
Emergency Shower Solutions in Challenging Environments
Heat trace units are common, versatile, and effective solutions for protecting against damage due to frozen pipes and parts, but they do not offer a comfortable environ- ment in which to drench. The freeze and scald valves ensure the uninterrupted flow of water in case of power failure in cold tem- peratures. These showers can be built for Class 1 Division 1 Class 1 Division 2, and Class 2 Division 2 hazardous locations.
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