Several factors go into the determination as to whether or not any given facility and/or job site requires an eyewash or shower system,” says Michael Pennington of Safety Management Group. As a consultant at a pharmaceutical research facility, Pennington is all too familiar with incidents where workers - in his case, lab personnel - come into contact with potentially toxic substances and have to use a local eyewash/shower system.
“Properly selected, located and installed systems, coupled with employee/contractor knowledge of location and the use of these systems, go a long way toward minimizing and in many cases avoiding injuries altogether,” says Pennington.
For those who are considering installing such systems, he recommends first conducting a two-tiered hazard assessment for the work area, one that takes into account both the existing hazards of the work area and those introduced by the work activity.
“The presence and handling of chemicals that contain a high or low pH is the most common indicator dictating the need of an eyewash and/or shower system to be present in the work area,” Pennington said. “An EHS professional should account for costs associated with the purchase, installation and long-term maintenance while determining what types they need.”
Additional factors:
Pennington also says that a strong understanding of both OSHA regulations and ANSI specifications is necessary in order to properly develop an eyewash/shower program for a facility or worksite.