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 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 fi nes 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 signifi cantly between sites, and may even fl uctuate 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.