If you have a Safety Shower or Eye/Fash Wash Unit on your premises, it is vitally important that they are visually inspected and activated on a weekly basis. In fact, it’s a requirement of the European standard EN15154 and International standard ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014.
Apart from ensuring that your shower or eye/fash wash equipment is in full working order should an emergency arise, activation also helps to clear the pipes of any sediment that may have built up and protect against legionella.
What should a Safety Shower or Eye/Face Wash Activation Test include?
The first thing to check as part of your Safety Shower or Eye/Face Wash Unit Activation Test is, of course, whether the unit activates properly. It should go from ‘off’ to ‘on’ in 1 second or less. It is also essential that the supply valve remains open after it is activated until you intentionally close it.
There must be a steady flow of water, without interruption, stuttering or stopping.
In the case of Eye Wash Units, it is important to check that the streams of water not only have a steady, non-erratic flow, but that they are both at the same height. It is possible to get a special gauge to assist in checking this.
Equally critical, is to ensure that the water itself is clear. Flush the units until the flow of water is clear, and not cloudy or dirty.
What should a Safety Shower or Eye/Face Wash Unit Visual Inspection include?
You should check that all electrical equipment is at least 3 feet away from the Safety Shower and/or Eye/Face Wash Unit.
It is important that there is a clear, unobstructed access path to the units, as in an emergency situation employees need to be able to get to the equipment as quickly and safely as is practically possible.
Safety Shower and Eye/Face Wash Units should be demarcated and clearly visible.
Be sure to check the units for any water or moisture leakage.
Ensure that the equipment is clean.
Look for any signs of damage and see to it that they’re repaired if necessary.
Consider the human factor when it comes to the operation of your Safety Shower and Eye/Face Wash equipment.
Are all of your employees aware of how to use these units, should an emergency situation arise? All personnel who may be exposed to dangerous chemicals or environments should be trained in the safe and proper use of the Safety Shower and Eye/Face Wash units.
Do all your workers know where the Safety Shower/Wash Units are located? This should be known to them from the outset and, as mentioned earlier, you must ensure that their path to them is clear and unobstructed.
In an environment where the work location frequently changes (for example, a mine), it’s important to make sure that your Safety Shower units are always accessible. Mobile Safety Shower units can come into their own here, and you can read more about Mobile Shower Units here.
We hope this article has given you some insight into what a Safety Shower or Eye/Face Wash Unit activation and inspection involves, and why they are needed. As mentioned, these are a legal requirement under European and International law so neglecting to do so will make your business liable and place your employees at serious risk should an emergency situation arise. The last thing you want in such a situation is to suddenly find that your emergency wash equipment is inactive or faulty. And, as stated earlier, it’s also important to ensure that your workers know how to use it.
At Gaslines Ltd, we have decades of experience in serving the Safety Shower and Emergency eyewash Equipment needs of Irish industries. If you’ve any queries at all please just pick up the phone and call our team on 0402 32116 or fill out our Contact Form.
