Page 101 - Occupational Health & Safety, July/August 2019

Emergency Care
Are processes in place to take care of the injured employee imme- diately, transport the individual to the hospital, and back up his or her lost work time by way of a trained replacement? Can you explain to upper management why everything you thought was in place failed? Have first aid that works within reach. Design your first aid kits with a need for large-scale injury/burns/chemical ex- posure. You already have to check the eyewash weekly, so it is ideal to have first aid close by and to keep a watch on it, as well.
You want high visibility for this program. Are those emergency call numbers posted? Are they current? Does the phone work? (Yes, it does bear repeating that safety means redundancy. Emer- gency preparedness means planning for the worst.)
A really good inspector will not ask the safety person about the eyewash program—the inspector will quiz the line employee working closest to it. If the employee does not know the answers, a great deal of your credibility goes out the window.
More Than Just a Code
The eyewash and safety shower program is one of the most under- utilized, overlooked, and abused through misuse and mismanage- ment that we must maintain. This should never be an add-on or af- terthought program, but instead be front and center and regularly upgraded, as needed. Diligent care and continuous maintenance and follow-up are required for the life of the program elements.
Admittedly, most safety professionals see this program as a nec- essary evil that will never be used and give courtesy time to the program development and training elements. A really good inspec- tor will not ask the safety person about the eyewash program—the inspector will quiz the line employee working closest to it. If the employee does not know the answers, a great deal of your credibil- ity goes out the window. If your paperwork shows diligent activa- tion and flushing but the unit does not work, is sluggish, or is dirty, expect fines. You deserve them.
Most industries, from heavy industry to medical technology, have need of an eyewash/safety shower program. Consider your production and your hazard assessment.
Face it and deal with reality: This is a lackluster, tough program that is difficult to keep interested in. It is a “what if something bad happens.” Talk about it each and every time first aid is mentioned, or housekeeping, chemical safety, maintenance work orders, water supplies, new employee orientation—you name it. Make sure em- ployees are not afraid to use the equipment and know how to clean up if needed before they have gallons of water on the floor and all the tile starts coming up.
It is worth every consideration, the nagging of supervisors, em- ployees, maintenance—and, in my case, even hauling the bucket myself to test them on night shift so that employees know they are checked—to prevent injuries at the workplace, which is part of the compassionate service of professional safety. Your eyewash and safety shower program may not be exciting, but if ever needed, the proper use can be lifesaving.
Linda J. Sherrard (ljohnsonsherrard@nc.rr.com), MS, CSP, is Safe- ty Consultant II with Central Prison Healthcare Complex in Raleigh, N.C., and is the former technical editor of OH&S.
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