A co-worker spills a poisonous chemical on his skin and needs immediate treatment. The corrosive starts to burn, and he has seconds to get into a safety shower. He expects the fluids to be at the required level and clean and safe. Therefore, it’s critical safety shower and eyewash fluids meet the standards for safety.
Workers exposed daily to hazards and other dangers on-the-job are found in industries where they deal with corrosive chemicals. Formaldehyde, sulfuric acid, and sodium hydroxide or lye carry particular dangers. Safety should be a top priority to ensure the well-being of workers and full compliance with ANSI Z358.1-2014.
What Does it Mean to be Fully Compliant with ANSI Z358.1-2014 Standards?
Full compliance includes conducting annual flow rate testing to meet ANSI standards. Safety shower/eyewash stations should have potable water, for one. Also, every safety shower/eyewash station owner should ensure a minimum flow rate of 20 GPM (gallons per minute) for a safety shower, .4 GPM for an eyewash station, and 3 GPM minimum for a combined eyewash/facewash station.
Piped recirculated water should be free of contaminants and sediment that can cause further injury; it should also be correctly plumbed. You must replace the fluid after each use in self-contained units. It’s also critical that water temperature is tepid (60°-100°F), which helps encourage workers to meet the full 15-minute flushing compliance. Check to see if the shower/eyewash station has any missing, broken, or non-functional parts.
Fluids should flow properly, and include protection from freezing. You also need to change the solution every 120 days, or sooner (depending on climate conditions) in self-contained safety shower units, unless you use ATS ShieldSafe’s product: WaterGuard™, which contains ceramic silver nitrate beads that keep water free of bacteria. We use a recently-developed active ceramic, specially designed to destroy deadly bacteria, that will protect your water for two years from:
- Legionella (which causes Legionnaires’ Disease)
- Stanphaureus
- E. Coli
- Entero Aerogenes
- Pseudomonas
- Salmonella Typhi
WaterGuard, when immersed in water, displays physical properties of semiconductivity, magnetism, and light emission (in the far infrared spectrum). The chemical activity and widespread substrate of the active ceramics attract the bacteria, which attach themselves to the surface.
Last, but not least, maintain water pipes often to ensure fluids flow correctly and consistently.
What Types of Safety Showers/Eyewash Stations are Acceptable under ANSI Z358.1-2014 Standards?
The ANSI Z358.1-2014 standard for safety showers/eyewash fluid ensures workers get the proper treatment at the right time and at the right levels. The three primary types of emergency shower and eyewash stations are for:
- Where spills or splashes affect large areas of the body and requires flushing of 20 gallons/minute for 15 minutes, at 30 PSI
- Where the eyes and face are affected, eye/face wash equipment requires flushing of 3.0 gallons/minute at 30 PSI for 15 minutes
- Where only the eyes are affected, eyewash stations should have flushing of 0.4 gallons/minute at 30 PSI for 15 minutes
ATS ShieldSafe Safety Showers Meet Compliance of ANSI Z358.1-2014 Standards
You can rest assured that all ATS ShieldSafe safety showers are fully compliant with ANSI requirements. We want you to be as safe as possible. Whether you need a cubicle, tank, enclosed, or cold or hot climate safety shower, we can outfit your job site with the right equipment and the right products to ensure peace of mind. Contact our representatives for more information at 800.747.9953. Our purpose is to ensure safety for everyone onsite.
