It’s not enough to have emergency eyewash stations…
…companies must perform regular maintenance on them
Eyewash stations are critical emergency safety equipment intended to mitigate eye injuries when a worker has been exposed to a toxic substance, but if an eyewash station has not been properly maintained, using it could expose the worker to additional health hazards – or make the original injury worse.
To bring attention to issue, OSHA has published an InfoSheet, “Health Effects from Contaminated Water in Eyewash Stations.” This document details the importance of regular maintenance of emergency eyewashes to prevent buildup of infectious organisms, including acanthamoeba, pseudomonas and Legionella. Maintenance is needed whether the eyewash station is permanently connected to a source of potable water (i.e., plumbed) or has self-contained flushing fluid.