Page 98 - Occupational Health & Safety, July/August 2019

EMERGENCY SHOWERS & EYEWASH
Eyewash/Safety Shower Protection—Trust But Verify!
Include it in all of your safety topics . . . first aid, chemicals, materials handling. Do whatever is needed to ensure a working, well-documented, accurate program. BY LINDA J. SHERRARD
During weekly inspections, one drench hose was always noticed with the dust covers dangling and the hose in an awkward posi- tion. Upon closer observation and follow-
ing conversations with staff, it was learned that this hose was often used to fill mop buckets by placing a tie band around the activation handle and dangling into the bucket. Ingenuity at its finest and even worse, your eyewash program has now been compromised.
These first-line emergency equipment items are truly the silent sentinels of exposure and are not given the value they deserve. Eyewash and emergency safety showers may seem like a straightforward safety pro- gram, but it is far from being a “one and done.” As you manage your program progressively for years to come, consider the following items.
The Evaluation
You and your managers know the hazardous locations of the company, where the greatest potential for ex- posure injuries is present or even have occurred, and thus where the most serious need for eyewash/safety shower equipment exists. Plot it out and think about location(s) carefully.
Emergency eyewashes should be placed in all haz- ardous areas as part of your first aid and vision protec-
tion efforts. Educate all employees on the specifics of the eyewash/safety shower equipment, locations with- in the facility, why it is there, how to use it, and that it is okay to use it. Often employees are afraid to touch the eyewash station or to report any injury related to it. Cover this in all needed languages, all shifts, and include contractors, temps, and interns.
Proper Installation
Chances are the installation was original to the build- ing unless there was a process change or new hazard. Make sure everything is correct, for example that the water temperature is at safe levels. Ensure that instal- lation is kept clutter free and out of other hazardous paths, such as equipment, level changes, etc.
Pick the correct type of eyewash/shower for the work area and hazard. Budget is only one consider- ation here, so think it through. You may tape or paint lines on the floor. Do whatever is needed to ensure a clear pathway to the eyewash/shower unit. No stacks of junk, excess storage, or trash bins should interfere. Have the sign in place. As for alarms, I remember one basement eyewash/shower that was activated (I really believe by a disgruntled employee on a Friday afternoon) and it ran unobserved for two days. The water did finally manage to find a drain but caused a huge mess, resulting in wasted time to clean up and a couple of pallets of damaged product. An ac- tivation alarm can be very helpful in out-of-the-way departments especially. It alerts staff that something is wrong, either an injured employee or a mechanical issue, and is very worthwhile.
Clever Employees
The decisions they make can cause serious implica- tions for your safety eyewash/shower program. Of- ten employees use drench hoses inappropriately as regular hoses for filling buckets or washing down sink areas or equipment. Filth and bacteria can directly impact an employee utilizing such equipment in an emergency. I remember one drench hose being used to assist in cleaning fish. Other clever employees who inspect the equipment do so only on paper, giving a false sense of security that all equipment works when in truth it may not activate when needed. Hopefully, that pathetic employee will move on so that your pro- gram to protect employees will actually work in spite of his laziness. Meanwhile, you have to verify every- thing done “just in case,” times two.
92 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2019
www.ohsonline.com
mark_vyz/Shutterstock.com