When working in extreme cold temperatures, many challenges arise. Frigid temps and changing work environments and corrosive chemicals, oh my! Yep, it’s a jungle out there. A question often asked is whether a company can plumb an outdoor safety shower in frigid temperatures to protect workers. The answer is yes – but with some caution. It’s true that you can use traditional piped shower/eyewash combination units, but should you?
Challenges Working in Harsh Climates
Sub-zero temperatures, along with biting winds and flying snow create hazards that may not otherwise be there in summer. For instance, if your workers handle corrosive chemicals at a job site or work on an oil rig, couple that with weather conditions and you have a perfect storm. This makes it difficult to plumb water to a safety shower, especially if there’s old and/or corroding piping.
Extreme winter working environments include a variety of hazards, such as:
- High winds
- Blinding snow
- Harsh temperatures of below freezing
- Corrosive materials
- Explosive or ignitable gases, vapors, or ignitable dust
- Water temperatures of 32° and below
- Chemicals
Because of these unique conditions, an enclosed, heated cubicle outdoor safety shower presents a much better option. Even if you feed a combined pipe shower/eyewash unit with the correct tepid water, if air temps become extremely cold at the shower site, the flushing fluid cools off quickly. Introduce high winds and the danger increases dramatically since an open tepid shower increases the risk of hypothermia.
Benefits of an Enclosed, Heated Outdoor Safety Shower
Providing chemical accident victims with a climate-controlled environment is an ideal way to ensure workers are safe and protected. You can appreciate a variety of benefits with a self-contained, fully enclosed safety shower. For instance, the Glacier™ includes a heated and insulated cubicle, heavy-duty construction, and is double-walled and compliant with ANSI Z358.1 (2014).
The SafetyRig, ™ a gravity-fed, portable safety shower/eyewash combo offers privacy and protection with a ramp leading to the inside. The rugged design makes for a perfect solution to demanding locations, environment, and users. It has site-to-site mobility and includes wastewater containment within the frame (below the shower) of the trailer. Another great benefit is the ability to outfit the SafetyRig for use in explosive environments. The temperature-controlled MidRig™ provides additional on-site security for accident victims by adding an ANSI-compliant first aid kit. All our outdoor safety showers support up to 165 mph winds.
ATS ShieldSafe Offers Privacy and Protection in Cold Environments
When you contact our safety shower experts, know that we help solve your challenges with working in extreme cold environments. All our safety showers meet tepid water requirements of 60F° – 100F° and are built-to-last for optimal worker safety. Give us a call at 800.747.9953 and let us discuss with you, your needs and requirements. We look forward to hearing from you.
