Tag Archive for: eyewash

you need an eyewash station to keep your employees safe

Why You Should Have an Eyewash Station in Working Order

 

You heard it here first—an eyewash station isn’t a fancy drinking fountain. If you need a drink of water, we recommend finding another source… like maybe an actual water fountain.

 

In all seriousness, eyewash stations are important pieces of equipment that reduce the major risks associated with chemical exposure (think: chemical-related eye injuries). Let’s discuss why you might need a properly functioning eyewash station.

Who Needs an Eyewash Station? 

Based on the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an eyewash station is required if a person may be exposed to “injurious corrosive materials” (aka chemical materials in laboratories).

 

The Material and Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), included with the chemical, indicates if the chemical is injurious corrosive.

 

Eye-related chemical injuries can lead to:

You heard it here first—an eyewash station isn’t a fancy drinking fountain. If you need a drink of water, we recommend finding another source… like maybe an actual water fountain.

 

  • Corneal perforation
  • Corneal ulcers
  • Cataracts
  • Glaucoma
  • Retinal damage
  • Eye loss
  • And more

What Are Eyewash Station Requirements? 

 

In 2009, the ANSI updated the standard for emergency eyewash stations. According to the new updates, if you or employees are working with hazardous chemicals, the station should be:

 

  • Installed and maintained correctly (i.e. the injured person should be able to flush their eyes for at least 15 full minutes)
  • At sites with any hazardous materials 
  • No more than 100 feet from where the material is being handled
  • Within a 10-second walk of the hazardous material 
  • Unobstructed by other machinery or equipment
  • Up to ANSI standard with respect to location, rate of water flow, fluid angle, water temperature, user position, and station location 

 

All of these regulations are set in place so that if an emergency situation arises, the exposed person can quickly seek treatment to avoid severe damage.

Why Do You Need an Eyewash Station?

Eyewash stations are an important piece of keeping you and your employees safe. If someone is exposed to a hazardous substance, especially a corrosive chemical, immediate treatment is critical to reduce injury. 

 

Proactively treating a hazardous chemical exposure in the first 10 to 15 seconds after exposure can reduce damage and injury because it flushes away the substance by providing quick decontamination.

 

We get it, accidents happen. A chemical exposure can occur even with all of the right safety precautions in place or when a person isn’t donning personal protective equipment. Having an emergency eyewash station provides an additional layer of safety to reduce the damage chemicals cause.

How to Use an Eyewash Station

First, anyone working with or near hazardous chemicals should be wearing personal protective equipment (i.e. goggles, face shields, gloves). This will reduce the chances of chemical exposure.

 

If an eye emergency does occur, it’s imperative to act quickly. You have 10 to 15 seconds from the time of initial exposure to flush out the chemical before the substance causes serious injury. Understand how to use your eyewash station before an emergency situation arises; it’s a race against the clock when you’re dealing with hazardous chemicals.

 

If chemical eye exposure occurs, walk to the eyewash station immediately as a peer notifies emergency services. Once at the station, push the foot pedal or hand lever to activate the flow of water. Then, lean over and hold your eyelids open and allow the water to flow over the eyeballs for at least 15 minutes, or until emergency responders arrive with further instructions. 

 

While flushing your eyes for 15 minutes, roll your eyes around so the water can flush the entire surface of the eyes, and remove contact lenses. Even if only one eye was contaminated, wash both eyes.

 

If you need a visual guide, watch our pal, Andy Bernard, demonstrate below. 

 

via GIPHY

 

For more information on what else businesses need to know about eyewash stations, click here.

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT EMERGENCY EYEWASH STATIONS

In January 2009, new revisions to ANSI standard Z358.1-2009 for emergency eyewash took effect. The most important thing is to make sure that emergency eyewash stations are installed and maintained correctly.   There are some basic requirements of ANSI which include:

  • A means of flushing injured eyes must be available at the site of any hazardous materials.
  • Eyewash must be within a 10-second walk of the hazard
  • An injured person must be able to flush their eyes for a full 15 minutes.
  • ANSI also calls out the rate of flow, fluid angle, temperature, user’s position, and station location, installation and maintenance.

With that said, there are five steps that your business can take to ensure that you are in compliance with the ANSI emergency eyewash standards.

  1.  Assess your facility to determine if your site requires emergency eyewash.

Most businesses are required to have eyewash stations if any of the following hazards are at the site: paint, solvents, battery charging stations, hazardous chemical storage, tool parts washers, or chemical pumping/mixing areas. Also,If employees use chemical-resistant gloves, cartridge or air-supplied respirators, chemical-resistant goggles or flammable storage containers, emergency eyewash is also required.

  1. Choose the right eyewash system for your facility

There are several questions that you can ask to determine your needs:

  • What are the most common hazards?
  • Does the workspace layout change as new jobs commence?
  • Is plumbing readily available at the site of every eye hazard?

There are two types of primary emergency eyewash delivery stations to consider: plumbed and portable. Plumbed eyewash units deliver plumbed tap water to the eyes in plentiful amounts. The downside of plumbed stations is that they are expensive to install, impractical to move and require weekly maintenance. Another problem with the plumbed systems is that they use tap water. Because its temperature is not easily regulated, plumbed tap water is often too hot or too cold to flush with for the required 15 minutes. Also, since It does not match the eye’s natural pH, so flushing with it can cause irritation.

The alternative is portable stations, which come in many varieties to meet a wide variety of needs.   These systems contain water, saline solution or 100 percent sterile saline, each of which is maintained at room temperature inside the unit. Stations that deliver sterile flushing fluid offer the best possible safety and because they are devoid of harmful impurities, sterile saline reduces employers’ risk of liability if further injury results.

  1. Emergency Eyewash must be Readily Accessible

It is important to remember that an injured worker may have limited or no vision if an emergency occurs, so it is important to select a location for the unit that is quickly and easily accessible during an emergency. ANSI specifies that stations be located within a 10-second walk from the hazard and on a travel path from the hazard that is free of obstructions. It must also be on the same level as the hazard (no stairs) and in an area that is well lit and clearly marked with a sign.

  1. It is critical to train employees on proper emergency response

It is the your responsibility to ensure that every employee is trained in using emergency eyewash units. Employees must know how to get to the eyewash station and must know how to activate the system in order to properly rinse contaminants from their eyes. The proper flushing technique calls for the worker to hold both eyes open with their forefingers and thumbs and let the fluid rinse across the eyes from the inside corner out for 15 minutes.

  1. Develop a safety plan that encompasses eyewash safety

The best way to ensure eyewash compliance in the workplace is by building it into the company’s safety plan. Employ a safety manager, assign safety stewards or use a third-party vendor to be responsible for employee training and station maintenance. The appointed safety leader should train staff regularly as a group and new associates as they join.

It is also important for your company to maintain eyewash units as required according to ANSI and/or the manufacturer.   Plumbed stations require the most maintenance – they must be activated weekly to get rid of particle buildup in the pipes. According to OSHA, a weekly activation “long enough to verify operation and ensure that flushing fluid is available,” is required. Portable units require less frequent maintenance but still need to be cleaned and disinfected every 3-6 months.

VFS Fire & Security Services has extensive experience in working with eyewash systems. Our team of experts can help with system design, plumbing, compliance and system maintenance. Contact us today to learn more about our services.