Installing the emergency equipment is the primary step in the safety process. Ensuring the Emergency Shower Equipment is essential for legal compliance.
In the modern day, emergency equipment needs to be installed in the worksites for the welfare of the employees. These play a major role in extensively saving the lives of employees during any emergency situation. Installing highly efficient emergency equipment is quite important for adding a better safety process.
It is quite essential to develop clear and completely practical operation procedures. Staff needs to understand the ways of operating these during emergency situations. Maintaining the emergency shower station and eyewash station is essential to carrying out the procedures effectively during emergency situations.
Emergency shower station and eyewash stations:
Installing the emergency showers in compliance with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations provides employers with suitable first aid. These are significant options for easily helping employees during an emergency, even without any hassle.
Maintaining the emergency shower equipment and eyewash station not only ensures legal compliance. These would greatly provide peace of mind for the employees and employers as they could be protected during any emergency.
Normally, the Emergency showers are designed to provide a quick rinse of the body. Normally, the emergency shower consists of a large shower head which is connected to the water supply. These would deliver the complete flow rate and ensure the affected area can be thoroughly rinsed.
Eyewash stations are specially designed specifically for rinsing the face and eyes. The eyewash station has a gentle flow of water, which would be directed to the eyes to remove the irritants or chemicals.
Steps to ensuring your emergency shower equipment is ready for action:
Maintaining the emergency shower equipment in its original condition in the worksites is essential. Normally, this equipment is not used for daily purposes but only during emergency situations.
Prolonged periods of inactivity could reduce the effect of the shower station. It is essential to ensure the emergency shower equipment is ready for action by taking the following steps.
- Flush water systems:
During the initial stage, it is essential to assist the clear building water systems for preparing the worksite’s emergency showers as well as eyewashes for safe usage. Checking for pipe contamination due to corroded plumbing is important. These could pose health risks even after prolonged periods of inactivity of the showers.
A prolonged period of more than weeks could cause molds on the pipes. Water stagnation in the pipes for weeks or months could cause corrosion. Adding protective scales or coatings inside pipes would help the metals reduce leaching in water.
- Inspect, test and flush:
Inspecting and testing the Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment is an essential factor that needs to be tested on a weekly basis. These would ensure the lines are completely clear of debris and sediments.
Normally, the facility needs to conduct an annual inspection to ensure all this equipment is compliant. The workstations may have changed over time, but the new hazards could be seen.
Facility managers should conduct weekly inspections to check the:
- Plumbed emergency equipment placed in accordance with international standard
- Emergency equipment has lines flushed to clear debris
- Reduce the stagnant water
- Plumbed emergency equipment works properly without missing or broken parts.
- Protected against freezing
- Uses tepid fluid between 60-100° F or 16-38° C
Maintaining the weekly activation also ensures that plumbing does not block the flow of flushing fluid. These would automatically eliminate the chance of contamination due to the stagnant water.
- Check portable units:
Sometimes, the Lack of running water is one of the major issues in many worksites. Having complete portable emergency shower equipment and an eyewash station is one of the best options for an emergency. These are completely flexible and convenient options, saving more time when running water is not available.
There are also tankless water heaters available that can be transported to supply the heated water at precise temperatures. Check whether the emergency shower equipment works on the work site. Clean portable tanks with soapy dishwater and warm water to rinse them before refilling them with the water.
- Assess hygiene protocol:
After the breakthrough of the pandemic across the world, emergency shower equipment procedures and protocols have been updated. These need to be followed to reduce the risk of virus transmission in the workplace easily. Protective measures include disinfecting all the PPE based on the CDC Guidelines.
The process is helpful for posting reminders on:
- Wearing the PPE
- Social distancing
- Avoiding rubbing or touching mouth and eyes
- Washing/sanitizing hands frequently and many more
Workers are required to wash their hands frequently for about 20 seconds with soap and use hand sanitizer. Before using the emergency shower equipment and eyewash station, the safety managers need to clean and disinfect work areas.
Based on a recent report, the pathogens could be viable on surfaces for days. Creating a clean workspace with high-touch surfaces like levers, switches, faucets, doorknobs, and many others is also an efficient option.
- Check location relative to hazards:
Workspaces need to be reconfigured to allow for about 6 feet of social distancing between the workers. These also create an impact on placing emergency eyewashes and showers in the worksites. Based on international regulations, fixtures are to be located within 10 seconds or 55 feet from the potential hazard.
These make it easier for the workers to reach the emergency shower equipment and eyewash station immediately. This equipment needs to be located on the same level as the hazard with the unobstructed path of travel.
- Activate the shower promptly:
Workers need to quickly locate and activate the emergency shower by pulling the knobs and handles without any panic. Safety managers need to ensure the handles and panic bars work properly.
Conclusion
The presence of a well-maintained emergency safety shower is an amazing factor for serious injury or even any minor incident when they have faced hazardous exposure. Following the above steps, ensuring your emergency shower equipment and eyewash station are ready for action is important. These would help to ensure safety showers and eyewash stations are used during emergencies.
