The smaller cousin to the emergency safety shower unit, emergency eye wash stations are essential pieces of PPE that can make the difference in saving someone’s sight should their eyes be exposed to harmful substances or debris in a work environment. In this article, we’ll look at five key facts to know about emergency eye wash units.
Where Should Emergency Eye Wash Stations Be Located?
It is important that emergency eye wash stations are placed so that they can be readily accessed (within a 10-second walk) without obstacles getting in the way in an emergency. They should also be located near potential hazards that may give rise to their use. The spray head assembly of the eye wash unit should be located at least 6” away from any walls, and stand between 33”) and 53” inches from the ground.
What Standards to Emergency Eye Wash Stations Be Need to Meet?
Emergency eye wash station requirements are governed by ANSI and EN standards. ANSI and EN standards stipulate that emergency eye wash stations must provide a continuous water flow to both eyes simultaneously at the rate of 0.4 gallons per minute at a pressure of 30 PSI for at least 15 minutes of a steady water flow to rinse the eyes of any contaminants. For this reason, small handheld eye wash bottles are not a suitable substitute for actual emergency eye wash stations. They should be capable of being activated in under one second via a hand-free, stay-open valve.
What Types of Emergency Eye Wash Stations Are Available?
A portable gravity fed eye wash unit.
There are two principal types of emergency eye wash stations available, fixed, plumbled-in units, and portable gravity-fed unit. The type you choose will depend on the nature of your worksite. For example, an everchanging construction site might call for the use of a portable model, whereas a lab or workshop environment might be suitable for a permanent, plumbed-in eye wash unit.
Water Temperature is Important for Emergency Eye Wash Units
As with emergency safety showers, the water supplied to an emergency eye wash unit must be tepid (i.e. between 16° and 38°C) in order to meet requirements and be effective. Too hot or too cold a temperature risks further injury not to mention makes using the eye wash unit uncomfortable for the user. If local environments are likely to effective the water temperature, then heating and insulation devices can be fitted to the eye wash unit.
Plumbed-In Emergency Eye Wash Units Should be Activated Weekly
It is mandatory that all plumbed-in emergency eye wash statons are activated on a weekly basis, regardless of whether they’re actually needed. This is to ensure that any built up sediment is flushed from the pipework and filters, and also helps mitigate the risk of legionella and other harmful bacteria. Portable emergency eye wash units require a visual check to see if flushing is required.
If you’re looking to install an emergency eye wash unit on your work site, please feel free to call our team at 0402 32116 for a free consultation. We’ll be happy to advise on the most appropriate emergency eye wash unit to suit your requirements. We’ve been Irish distributors for the Hughes Safety range of emergency eye wash stations for decades and have offices in Arklow and Cork. We can deliver anywhere in Ireland.
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