A worker on an oil rig in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin was accidentally sprayed with corrosive chemicals. Her co-workers rushed her to the nearest safety shower, but when they turned it on they discovered it wasn’t working property. The system hadn’t withstood the cold, marine conditions on the rig. Fortunately, the crew was able to quickly find another shower that worked, and the worker was spared long-term damage.
After the incident, rig operators went looking for a safety shower that would withstand the harsh conditions on their rig. They discovered safety showers shouldn’t be one-size-fits-most. They needed a custom solution that would stand up to corrosive sea air and water, work and keep workers comfortable in colder air temperatures, and fit in a location with limited potable water.
Corrosive air and water
Salty air and water quickly will take a toll on any equipment, causing metal to corrode faster than in other conditions. Oil rig operators in marine environments need safety showers with stainless steel features that can withstand the harsh weather conditions, including wind requirements.
ATS has the solution. Its ShieldSafe safety showers are built to last in any environment. Many of the ShieldSafe products are built with stainless steel frames, valves and fittings, so they can withstand the corrosive elements of sea air and water. There even are designs made to withstand hurricane-force winds.
ShieldSafe showers are customizable, and are built to last in harsh marine environments.
Weather
Like many maritime environments, the summers in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin are cool and the winters are milder than on the continent. But the area, which is offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, still has pretty cool temperatures. The mean temperature in February is near freezing, and the mean temperature in August is around 58 degrees. The area also is humid and gets a lot of precipitation. So an oil rig operating in the area needs a cubicle safety shower with the ability to keep an accident victim warm enough to prevent hypothermia.
ANSI regulations give a temperature range for water in a safety shower to keep a worker from being burned or too cold—between 60 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit (15.6 and 37.8 degrees Celsius). It also suggests that an enclosure be provided for additional protection in areas with colder air temperatures.
The ShieldSafe Fortress is the best product on the market to protect your employees. It’s a gravity-fed cubicle safety shower with room for multiple people. It provides a safe, weather-free environment for first-responders to render aid to an accident victim after a decontamination shower. It’s also got room to store other required safety equipment, including a defibrillator and bandages.
The Fortress provides the ultimate protection for employees, especially in harsh, cold marine environments.
Water supply
Potable water is a major issue on any offshore oil rig. Sure, there’s a lot of sea water, but that’s not what workers need in an accident. Water volume and pressure are essential for a safety shower to perform properly in an emergency. The flow rate must be 20 gallons per minute for at least 15 minutes for a drench shower. Operators need to make sure their showers are designed to perform where there’s a lack of potable water.
ShieldSafe’s ANSI and OSHA-compliant gravity-fed, self-contained showers are perfect for an offshore location. They protect employees in remote, low-flow and no water environments and are easy to update and customize.
With ShieldSafe, your employees have peace of mind knowing that their shower will have the water flow rate and volume in any emergency.
If you’re looking for a safety shower to protect your employees in a harsh, cold marine environment, you need a custom solution that will alleviate all your concerns. Your safety shower needs to perform perfectly with limited or no potable water. It should withstand corrosive salty air and water. And it must keep your workers safe even when it’s freezing outside. ShieldSafe is the answer.
