Page 80 - OHS, July/August 2021

EMERGENCY EYEWASH & SHOWERS
How Lean Design Improves Efficient Use of
Emergency Showers and Eyewashes
Management should uncover emergency safety shower procedures and equipment that are not doing the job sufficiently or correctly.
IBY RYAN PFUND
n an emergency, every second counts. So, when the need arises to use eyewashes and emergency safety showers, eliminating any waste and
inefficiency from the process can mean the difference between a good outcome and a bad outcome. Just as “lean” principles have been used to improve manufacturing efficiency, lean can be applied to almost any work application or production process, including improving the performance and efficiency of emergency safety showers.
Now that more facilities are fully reopening and full-time operations are returning to normal, it’s important for safety managers to take a close look at the efficient use of emergency safety showers in their work environments, operations and processes. Are adequate quantities of safety showers and eyewashes confirmed to be in the correct placement relative to site hazards? Is the equipment tested regularly and working properly according to ANSI/ISEA Z358.1–2014 American National Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment?1 Are employees fully trained on the use of safety shower equipment?
Conversely, management should uncover emergency safety shower procedures and equipment that are not doing the job sufficiently or correctly. A thorough site evaluation can identify disorganization, old bad habits and outdated equipment and systems that create waste, inefficiencies and unsanitary conditions.
Leaning into a Streamlined Emergency Response
Lean design is a process-driven approach that examines the layout, flow, processes and protocols of a worksite, focusing on identifying and eliminating problems.
According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME): “The goal of lean is to eliminate waste— the non-value-added components in
76 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2021
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