Accidents happen, as when working in any hazardous working conditions. Just one accident though results in a nightmare for your company, with corporate, state, and federal agencies breathing down your neck and scrutinizing all your records. Poorly kept records affect the whole company, therefore, may result in costly fines and possible litigation. Review our safety shower maintenance checklist for ATS ShieldSafe™ and ensure you’re ANSI Z358.1 (2014) compliant. Your workers deserve all the protection and privacy they need on the job.
Eyewash Weekly Testing Checklist
If you happen to spill corrosive chemicals and it affects your eyes, it’s imperative to get to a safety eyewash immediately. Review the maintenance checklist so you know everything works properly and your workers get the needed treatment for the required time. First, for the unit inspection, look for any leaks or pipe damage, as well as proper placement of protective covers. Check the unit is free of any obstructions and that there are no broken or missing parts. For plumbed eyewashes only, flush the unit for three minutes, which helps sanitize the water supply by relieving the unit of any rust and other pipe buildups. Check that the water flow remains continuous and evaluate that the unit maintains a consistent flow for at least fifteen minutes.
Tank-Fed and Plumbed Shower Weekly Testing
An advantage with ATS is weekly testing is not required. If you purchase or rent one of our safety showers/eyewash units, ATS recommends testing only every 5-6 months to ensure everything is working properly. For tank-fed weekly testing, refer to the eyewash testing checklist. Activate the unit and check that the water flow activates in one second or less. Ensure the actuator stays on unless turned off manually. Observe the tank capacity flow gauge; check that there’s enough water in the tank for a continuous fifteen-minute flow at 20 gallons/minute. The only difference for the plumbed shower testing is flushing the unit for three minutes to help sanitize water supply, This also relieves any rust and other pipe buildups of the unit. Ensure there are shut-off valves in the supply line, and check the system to avoid unauthorized shut-off of the water supply.
Educate All Employees on Safety Shower/Eyewash Use
Knowledge is power. Make sure all your employees are well-versed in safety shower/eyewash use and location of the safety equipment. Conduct regular training on safety equipment, especially when you adopt new regulations or when ANSI changes their standards. If the equipment fails the safety shower maintenance testing, let the Safety Officer know immediately. In this case, label the equipment as “DO NOT USE.” Plant operations or facility management is accountable for immediate maintenance or replacement.
Contact ATS ShieldSafe for Safety Shower Maintenance Checklist
If you would like the full safety shower maintenance checklist, contact one of our safety experts at 800.747.9953. We can answer any questions and ensure you’re in full ANSI compliance. We will also work with you if you’re looking for a safety shower/eyewash unit that’s built strong and ensures protection and privacy for all your workers. Contact us today!
