Most emergency shower and eye/face wash installations across North America do not comply with significant code provisions, even though the most recent ANSI Z358.1 Standard was released in 2009. Exposure to risks associated with non-compliance increase significantly for companies that have not yet upgraded their emergency eyewashes and showers. Non-compliance OSHA fines typically begin at $100,000 and can easily exceed $1 million; however the most damaging risk is an injured worker’s ability to claim excessive injury from a non-compliant drench shower or eyewash. In today’s “lawsuit lottery” business climate, even a rich imagination is no match for jury-system settlements.
To protect workers and the companies that employ them, emergency drench showers and eye/face washes must be in the right place, at the right time, with the right water supply. Large-scale industrial settings require tempered water systems that provide right-sized water heating and/or cooling, storage, and recirculation — all engineered to address the unique conditions at each facility. Several factors contribute to the engineering challenge and complexity; water volume, pressure and temperature vary significantly between sites, and may even fluctuate within a facility. Coupled with the possibility of sudden demand from multiple drench units concurrently, creating an effective plant-wide design can be extremely complex.