Emergency Eyewash, Shower and Flushing Stations

Purpose

This Standard Practice provides minimum requirements for performance, use, installation, and testing of equipment that is used for emergency drenching and/or flushing of the eyes and body.

Policy

It is University policy that suitable drenching and/or flushing equipment be provided in areas where there is reasonable potential for exposure to injurious corrosive materials.

Scope

This Standard Practice applies throughout the University and for off-site activities performed by University personnel. Contractors are responsible for supplying their own suitable drenching and flushing equipment unless an agreement to the contrary is made with the appropriate university contract coordinator beforehand.

References

A. OSHA Standard, 29 CFR 1910.151

B. OSHA Standard, 29 CFR 1926.50

C. ANSI Standard, Z358.1-1998, American National Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment

D. Laboratory Health and Safety Handbook, R. Scott Stricoff and Douglas B. Walters, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990

Definitions

A. Combination Unit: An interconnected assembly of drenching and flushing equipment that is supplied by a single flushing fluid source.

B. Corrosive Chemical: A corrosive chemical for the purposes of this Standard Practice is a chemical that causes visible destruction of, or irreversible alterations in, living tissue by chemical action at the site of contact.

C. Emergency Shower: An assembly that utilizes a valve that remains open during use to enable the user to have water cascading over the entire body while the hands are free.

D. Eye/Face Wash: A device used to irrigate and flush both the face and the eyes.

E. Flushing Fluid: Potable (drinkable) water or other medically acceptable solution.

F. Hand-Held Drench Hose: A flexible hose connected to a water supply that is used to irrigate eyes, face, and body areas.

G. Personal Eyewash: A supplementary eyewash that supports plumbed or self-contained eyewash equipment by delivering immediate flushing for less than 15 minutes.

H. Plumbed Eyewash: An eyewash unit permanently connected to a source of potable water.

I. Self-Contained Eyewash: An eyewash device that contains its own flushing fluid that must be refilled or replaced after each use.

Responsibilities

A. Office of Safety is responsible for:

1. Assisting Facilities with plan review in the placement of new equipment during new construction or major renovation.
2. Assisting departments on the need and placement of equipment.
3. Maintaining a campus-wide drenching and flushing equipment test records and equipment location files.
4. Conducting periodic audits to ensure that drenching and flushing equipment inspections are occurring at least at the frequency called for in this Standard Practice.
5. Providing checklists (upon departmental request) that can be used to record flushing/testing activities for emergency drenching and flushing equipment.
6. Coordination of training regarding the use and testing of emergency drenching and flushing equipment.

B. Managers/Supervisors are responsible for:

1. Making sure that personnel who may need to use emergency drenching and flushing equipment are trained on its location and use.
2. Making sure that the necessary emergency drenching and flushing equipment s called for in this Standard Practice is provided or, if such equipment is not available, that any work requiring the availability of the equipment is not performed until the equipment is available.
3. Requesting immediate repair for malfunctioning emergency drenching and flushing equipment.
4. Making sure flushing/inspection of equipment occurs as outlined in this Standard Practice.
   Eyewash Monthly Inspection Sheet

C. Instructors of laboratories that utilize injurious corrosive materials are responsible for:

1. Making sure that students are informed of the appropriate personal protective equipment to use while using injurious corrosive materials.
2. Making sure that students know where emergency drenching and flushing equipment is located and how to use it.
3. Requesting immediate repair for any malfunctioning emergency drenching and flushing equipment.

D. Affected individuals are responsible for:

1. Following the requirements of this Standard Practice.
2. Utilizing appropriate personal protective equipment such as goggles, face shields, and chemical resistant garments as a means of defense against splash from injurious corrosive materials.
3. Becoming familiar with the location and operation of the nearest emergency drenching and flushing equipment.
4. Using emergency drenching and flushing equipment as trained.
5. Reporting incidents that require the use of emergency drenching and flushing equipment to supervisory or faculty personnel as soon as the emergency has been brought under control.

Emergency Drenching and Flushing Equipment

A. Each new university facility must have emergency drenching and flushing equipment incorporated into it by design whenever injurious corrosive materials are planned for use within it. Installation of such equipment must be as specified in ANSI Z358.1-1998. Only equipment that is certified by the manufacturer as meeting the performance specifications contained in ANSI Z358.1-1998 may be placed in new facilities.

B. Existing University facilities must be equipped as necessary to include emergency drenching and/or flushing equipment that is readily accessible and can be reached within 10 seconds from the area(s) where injurious corrosive materials are used. Equipment performance specifications, height, and clearance distances should be as stated in ANSI Z358.1 - 1998.

C. Off-site/remote locations must have drenching/flushing equipment available whenever work involves the use of injurious corrosive materials. Plumbed units that are maintained by the owner/controller of an off-site facility may be used or self-contained units can be purchased. A water hose supplying potable water and equipped with a proper face and body wash nozzle can be used at off-site locations where the possibility of exposure to injurious corrosive materials is very low and when proper personal protective equipment is used.

D. The temperature of the flushing fluid for emergency drenching and flushing equipment should be lukewarm. A means of controlling the temperature to less than 100 F must be included in tempered flushing fluid systems.

E. Flushing fluid shut off valves located within branch lines serving emergency drenching and flushing equipment should be tagged to indicate that turning off the valve would turn off the supply to the emergency equipment.

F. Emergency drenching and flushing equipment must be identified by highly visible signage whenever the equipment cannot be readily seen by its potential users.

G. The following are the key specifications from ANSI Z358.1 - 1998.

1. Plumbed and self-contained emergency showers:

a. Plumbed and self-contained emergency showers must supply at least 20 gallons per minute (gpm) of flushing fluid at a velocity low enough to be non-injurious to the user.

b. At least a fifteen minute supply of flushing fluid must be available.

c. The flushing fluid supply valve must stay open without the use of the operator's hands.

d. Shower head height must be between 82 and 96 inches (84" is optimal) from the user's standing surface.

e. Protection from freezing or freeze protected equipment is required where the possibility of freezing exists.

f. Shower enclosures (if used) require at least a 34-inch diameter unobstructed area to provide adequate space for the user.

2. Plumbed and self-contained eyewash:

a. Plumbed and self-contained eyewash units must supply at least 0.4 gpm of flushing fluid and at a velocity low enough to be non-injurious to the user.

b. At least a fifteen minute supply of flushing fluid must be available.

c. Eyewash units must supply flushing fluid to both eyes simultaneously.

d. The flushing fluid supply valve must stay open without the use of the operator's hands.

e. Nozzles must be protected from airborne contaminants. Nozzle protective device removal must be automatic (not require a separate motion by the user) when the unit is turned on.

f. Eyewash units must be placed between 33 and 45 inches from the user's standing surface and at least 6 inches from the nearest wall or other obstruction.

3. Eye/Face wash equipment:

a. Plumbed and self-contained eye/face wash units must supply at least 3.0 gpm of flushing fluid and at a velocity low enough to be non-injurious to the user.

b. At least a fifteen minute supply of flushing fluid must be available.

c. Eye/Face wash units must supply flushing fluid to both eyes simultaneously.

d. The flushing fluid supply valve must stay open without the use of the operator's hands.

e. Nozzles must be protected from airborne contaminants. Nozzle protective device removal must be automatic (not require a separate motion by the user) when the unit is turned on.

f. Eyewash units must be placed between 33 and 45 inches from the user's standing surface and at least 6 inches from the nearest wall or other obstruction.

4. Hand-held drench hoses:

a. Hand-held drench hoses provide support for emergency shower and eyewash units but they are not intended to replace them.

b. Plumbed and self-contained drench hoses must supply at least 3.0 gpm of flushing fluid and at a velocity low enough to be non-injurious to the user.

c. At least a fifteen minute supply of flushing fluid must be available.

5. Combination units such as an eyewash and shower combination are ideal in many situations. Installation and performance requirements for combination units are as presented for the individual components.

6. Personal eyewash equipment:

a. Personal eyewash equipment, such as bottles and small portable units, are designed for immediate flushing of the eyes without being injurious to the user. Personal eyewash equipment supports plumbed and self-contained units, but it does not provide adequate replacement.

b. Operator instructions must be maintained on personal eyewash equipment.

c. Water must be changed out at least once per week when it is used without a preservative. An expiration date must be maintained according to the manufacturer's specifications on equipment containing flushing solutions or preservatives.

H. Use

1. Immediate and proper use of emergency drenching and flushing is essential to minimizing injury upon injurious corrosive chemical contact. The following guidelines should aid in minimizing injury due to contact with corrosive materials:

a. Flush eyes and/or skin for at least 15 minutes. Never use home-made neutralizing solutions to flush chemicals from the body.

b. Immediately remove contaminated clothing. Do this while under the shower when gross contamination has occurred. Have someone assist with clothing removal when possible.

c. Hold eyelids open with fingers so flushing fluid can fully irrigate the eyes.

Note: People may not always be able to flush their eyes on their own because of intense pain. Nearby helpers should be prepared to assist with holding the eyelids open. Other helpers may need to assist with keeping the person under the flushing fluid for at least 15 minutes.

d. Seek medical attention after flushing the areas of contact for at least 15 minutes.

e. Notify supervisor as soon as the emergency has subsided.

f. An assistant may use a fire blanket or uncontaminated article of clothing as a shield to provide privacy for someone who needs to remove their clothes while under an emergency shower, and for body coverage while seeking medical attention.

Flushing/Inspections

Each department is responsible for making sure that flushing, inspection, and repair of the emergency drenching and flushing equipment within it's area(s) occurs. This responsibility includes changing flushing fluid in portable units at the frequencies recommended by the manufacturer. Departments may request assistance from the Office of Safety or the Facilities Department to fulfill these requirements. Minimum flushing and inspection requirements are presented below.

A. Weekly flushing requirements:

1. Plumbed eyewash and eye/face wash stations must be activated and flushed at least once per week. Flush for at least three minutes.

2. Inspect eyewash and eye/face wash stations while flushing to make sure that water rises to approximately equal heights, and that fluid flow is sufficient to flush both eyes simultaneously while at a velocity low enough to be non-injurious to the user.

3. Water in self-contained eyewash and eye/face wash stations must be replaced with fresh potable water at least once per week. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for functionality tests and solution replacement when a preserved solution is used in these units.

4. Each personal eyewash station/unit must be reviewed weekly to make sure components are in place, the station/unit is readily accessible, and that flushing solution has not passed its expiration date. Also verify that bottles with seals/tamper indicators are sealed, replacing those that are not.

B. Plumbed emergency showers and drench hose stations must be activated and flushed at least once per month.

C. Each eyewash, shower, or drench hose unit not passing inspection or requiring repair, must be signed to warn people that the emergency flushing station is not functioning properly. Repair of defective units must be expedited.

D. Records of each flush/inspection must be kept. These records may be recorded on tags that are attached to drenching and flushing equipment, by means of a checklist, or by both. Copies of flush/inspection records must be forwarded to the Office of Safety at least once per year. Forward the filled tag to the Office of Safety when tags are used as the only means of tracking the inspections. If tag sent to the Office of Safety, a new tag must be attached to the equipment.

Repairs

A. Whenever an eyewash station is non-functional, a portable eyewash station or equivalent must be available if work with injurious corrosive materials cannot be delayed.

B. Each department is responsible for ensuring that drenching and flushing equipment not passing inspection is repaired in a priority manner. When emergency drenching and flushing equipment is non-functional, it must be clearly tagged/signed as being out-of-service.

C. Anyone removing emergency drenching and flushing equipment from service must notify the Office of Safety and the affected department beforehand. This requirement includes those periods when main or branch water lines that serve drenching and flushing equipment are turned off.