Page 33 - Occupational Health & Safety, January/February 2019

During activation of plumbed showers, the equipment is to be checked for any visible damage, leaks, rust, and obstructed flow.
Showers should deliver at least 20 gal- lons per minute for a minimum of 15 min- utes; for eyewashes, the required minimum is 0.4 gallons per minute. The equipment must activate in 1 second or less and then continue to operate hands-free.
Experts recommend designating one person as responsible for inspecting, op- erating, and documenting findings weekly for the shower, eyewash, and combination units and drench hoses, but for large facili- ties with multiple units, they recommend having a contractor or vendor do these tasks, in order to eliminate inconsistent checks because of vacations, sick days, etc.
Contractors should be familiar with the ANSI standard and be able to give a de- tailed report on any problems. The weekly check ensures flushing fluid is available at the correct temperature, pattern, and flow and also clears the supply line of sediments and minimizes the risk of microbial con- tamination caused by still, sitting water. During activation of plumbed showers, the equipment is to be checked for any visible damage, leaks, rust, and obstructed flow; the inspector is to ensure that spray nozzles are protected from contaminates and that protective caps and covers deploy easily, and the equipment continues to run until it is turned off.
Self-contained (gravity-fed) showers must be visually checked weekly to deter- mine whether the flushing fluid needs to be changed or replenished, and they must be maintained according to the manufac- turer’s instructions.
All emergency showers must be in- spected annually to make sure they meet the ANSI Z358.1-2014 performance re- quirements.
Jerry Laws is the editor of Occupational Health & Safety.
REFERENCES
1. https://safetyequipment.org/product/ ansiisea-z358-1-2014/
2. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regula- tions/standardnumber/1910/1910.151
www.ohsonline.com
Circle 18 on card.