Page 46 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2018

EMERGENCY SHOWERS & EYEWASH
Testing Your Emergency Showers and Eyewashes Isn’t Just an Annual Thing
Compliance is an all-day, every-day requirement.
BY SAMANTHA HOCH
Emergency showers and eyewashes are re- quired by the ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014 stan- dard to be activated weekly, with a more thorough evaluation on an annual basis.
With OSHA fine increases of 80 percent taking effect in August 2016, violations for inappropriate or inad- equate eyewash and shower equipment have resulted in penalties of over $100,000.
The standard guides the placement, functionality, and maintenance requirements for emergency show- ers and eyewashes. ANSI/ISEA Z358.1, in its current form, is the clearest and most useful tool for protect- ing workers from eye, face, and body injuries result- ing from caustic and corrosive materials introduced by workplace incidents such as spills, splashes, and blown particulates.
The standard requires stringent testing to be con- ducted on a regular basis to ensure properly func- tioning equipment is being provided at all times if an incident were to occur. We should all understand that compliance is not a once-a-year or once-a-month
responsibility. Compliance is an all-day, every-day re- quirement. Accordingly, emergency showers and eye- washes are required by the ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014 standard to be activated weekly, with a more thorough evaluation on an annual basis. This requirement is es- tablished in Sections including 4.6.2, 4.6.5.
In practice, emergency response equipment such as eyewashes and showers sometimes fall to the way- side when it comes to maintenance, especially when prioritized against emergency preparedness equip- ment such as eye protection and fall protection. It’s pertinent to know that OSHA does not prioritize or take a backseat when it comes to providing adequate and properly functioning equipment, regardless whether the equipment aids pre- or post-incident.
ANSI Weekly Minimum Performance Re- quirements
The standard itself has three minimum requirements for weekly inspections:
1. Emergency equipment shall be activated weekly. (Each piece of equipment is required to be activated.) 2. Activation shall ensure flow of water to the head(s) of the device. (This would be both the eyewash
or eye/face wash head, as well as the showerhead.)
3. Duration of the activation shall be sufficient to ensure all stagnant water is flushed from the unit itself and all sections of piping that do not form part of a constant circulation system, also known as “dead leg” portions. (The duration is determined by the length of piping where stagnant water could be sitting before it
reaches the head(s) of the unit.)
In addition to the above weekly minimum perfor-
mance checklist required by ANSI/ISEA, it is recom- mended as a best practice to conduct additional week- ly functional checks. The purpose of these additional checks is to fully ensure the equipment is operating correctly and is capable of providing proper first aid in the event of an emergency.
ACCESS
■ Path of travel to the safety station shall be free of obstructions. (This could include hoses, boxes, and doors.) (Sections 4.5.2, 5.4.2, 6.4.2, 7.4.2)
SHOWER
■ Shower must deliver a minimum of 20 gallons (75.7 L) per minute. (Sec. 4.1.2, 4.1.4, 7.1)
■ The valve shall go from “off ” to “on” in one sec- ond or less and flushing fluid shall remain on without
42 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2018
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