What regulations govern decontamination showers?

There are two key standards which govern decontamination showers (also known as emergency safety showers): the European Standard, EN15154, and that of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ANSI Z358.1-2014 (this is internationally recognised). Business owners, facility managers, and safety officers need to be mindful of these standards and what they require, if they have a decontamination shower on site.

Decontamination showers must be positioned within 10 seconds' reach of the hazard

It is a requirement that decontamination/emergency shower units are located within 10 seconds reach of the given hazard. They should be clearly signposted, and the path to them unhindered. While the ANSI standard doesn’t give a specific distance measurement, the EN standard stipulates that decontamination showers be placed within 20m of a hazard.

Designated flow rates for decontamination shower units.

In order to ensure the thorough and effective decontamination of the occupant, both ANSI and EN standards for decontamination/emergency safety showers both stipulate that they are able to supply an uninterrupted flow of water for at least 15 minutes, at a steady flow rate of 76L per minute.

The water supplied to emergency/decontamination shower units must be tepid

A supply of tepid water is a requirement for safety shower units under both the EN and ANSI standards. Should the water be too hot or too cold, it may discourage the occupant from remaining in the shower for 15 minutes, and thus, effective decontamination may not take place. In addition, extreme temperatures may result in further injury. There is a very slight difference between the two standards as to the definition of a ‘tepid’ temperature, but they are broadly the same. (The EN standard stipulates 15-37c, the ANSI standard defines it as 16-38c).

Regular safety shower activation is required

Decontamination showers must activate within 1 second of the valve being opened by the user. It is also a requirement that they are activated at least once a week. This ensures that they are kept in good working order and that any potential problems are identified and rectified at an early stage. They should be inspected and nozzles/diffusers kept clean so that do not become contaminated or blocked by debris.

We hope that the above gives you a good overview of the standards regulation decontamination showers. It is not exhaustive, and there are further requirements for certain work environments For more information on decontamination showers feel free to contact our PPE experts on 0402 32116 (Arklow) or 021 484 1370 (Cork). You also email us at sales@mahealy.ie.