Why Regular Emergency Shower and Eyewash Inspections Are Important?

An Emergency Shower and Eyewash is a vital piece of equipment in any working laboratory.

In the event that anyone within your workspace suffers a chemical splash to their eyes, every second counts. Emergency Shower and Eyewash is there to provide immediate first aid following a chemical splash to the eye, working to limit the long-term damage as much as possible.

With this in mind, it’s crucial that the designated Emergency Shower and Eyewash in your laboratory is always in good working condition.

Here are a few of the reasons why you should be inspecting the quality and working order of your Emergency Shower and Eyewash regularly, as well as a guide to carrying out these inspections.

How important are Emergency Shower and Eyewash?

Depending on the chemical involved, a chemical splash to the eyes may begin to cause surface damage between just 1 and 5 minutes after contact.

If chemicals are not rinsed from the eyes fully by this point, the injured person is at increased risk of suffering much more severe and long-term damage.

The ANSI standard (ANSI Z358.1-2014) advises that flushing the eyes for 15 minutes immediately after contact, you’ll begin to treat the eyes within the all-important 1-5 minute window. As a result, you may be able to limit the damage to short-term symptoms, such as soreness, redness, and temporarily blurred vision.

With all this in mind, the consequences of neglecting to inspect the working order of your eye wash station could prove disastrous in the event that the station is urgently needed.

How often should you check your Emergency Shower and Eyewash?

Given the importance of this equipment, your Emergency Shower and Eyewash must be thoroughly and carefully inspected for any problems at least once a week.  

These frequent checks are required due in part to the likelihood of debris, rust, and other such problems, all of which may prove harmful to the eyes if the eyewash station is used.

How to check your Emergency Shower and Eyewash？

You should follow the same routine each time you conduct an Emergency Shower and Eyewash inspection, carrying each step out carefully and thoroughly.

First off, inspect the area around the eyewash station – is it free of obstructions? As the eyewash station is a piece of emergency equipment, it’s important to ensure that there are no obstacles that may prevent users from accessing it as quickly as possible.

There should also be adequate drainage for the station to collect runoff. This is important as the user’s vision will be blurred, increasing the risk that they may slip on water runoff from the station.

Then, ensure that your station is securely connected to its water supply – either that it is properly connected to the internal supply or a water tank that is sufficiently filled.

At this point, you should switch on the ‘jets’ to check that the water is running clear, with a sufficient level of mid-to-high pressure to flush the eyes without causing excess pain and without leaks. 

If each of these conditions is met, you can likely rest assured that your station is in good working order.

Further care and maintenance:

In addition to weekly checks, you should also ensure that you thoroughly clean your Emergency Shower and Eyewash .

Finally, if you notice during any inspection that your emergency eye wash station doesn’t meet requirements, you must replace it with a new model as soon as possible. This is a crucial piece of safety equipment and not one that your laboratory should be left without.

All our emergency showers and Emergency Shower and eyewash are designed to be easily repaired, and damaged parts can easily be replaced.