Where should emergency safety showers be located?

Emergency safety showers can be an important, lifesaving piece of PPE in many work environments. However, it’s not enough to simply have them on site—it’s also vitally important that they are located correctly and that your staff are aware of them (and how to use them). Let’s take a look at some key points to take into account when deciding on a location for your emergency showers and/or eye wash stations.

Emergency showers must be situated within 20m of a hazard

It is a requirement that safety showers are placed within 20m reach of a hazard, and that they can be accessed within 10 seconds.

The path to a safety shower should be clear and unhindered

The path should be clear and unobstructed, so it’s important to ensure that this area is kept tidy and uncluttered at all times. Every second counts when it comes to contamination, and a piece of clutter can mean the difference between a minor injury and a serious one, or worse.

Emergency showers must be situated at the level of the hazard

Emergency safety showers and eyewash stations must be positioned on the same level as the hazards. This makes sure that it can be easily accessed by impaired workers who may have difficulty negotiating steps or lifts. Naturally, it also means that the showers can be accessed faster.

Emergency showers should be clearly signposted

All safety showers and eye wash stations should be clearly signposted and well-lit so that employees can readily find them should an emergency arise. These signs must conform to BS EN ISO 701. At Gaslines Ltd., we can supply a range of approved safety shower signs to this standard.

Make sure staff are aware of where the units are located and how to use them

Knowledge is power, and therefore it’s important that all staff know where the safety showers/eye wash units are located, and how to properly use them. This should be part of the induction process for new staff/contractors, and this training should be regularly refreshed.

If you have any queries about emergency safety showers not been answered above, please feel free to get in touch. You can email us at sales@mahealy.ie or call us on 0402 32116 (Arklow) or 021 484 1370 (Cork) — we are an approved distributor for the Hughes Safety Shower range in Ireland with decades of experience to share.