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Eyewash Standards - An Overview

By: Mike Richards

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Prevent Blindness America conducted a survey where they determined, daily more than 2,000 employees suffer an eye injury while at work. Of that group, 10 to 20% will have temporary or permanent vision loss from those injuries. One of the main causes in workplace eye injuries, causing one-fifth of all work-related eye injuries, is chemical exposure. While donning safety glasses and goggles helps with defending the eyes from potential damage, it is not the only necessary precaution. This is where eyewashes come in. (A tip to take into account here is that OSHA does not accept an eyewash instead of personal protection equipment (PPE) such as goggles and safety glasses. It is to be provided in addition to PPE.)

OSHA regs state eyewashes be included in the place of work wherever workers' eyes might be "exposed to injurious corrosive materials" (for example, battery-charging areas or environments wherever batteries are built, and film processing labs where corrosive chemicals are handled). Corrosive materials, as defined by OSHA, are agents that "cause visible destruction of, or irreversible alterations in, living tissue by chemical action at the site of contact." This incorporates not only acids but also bases and any other agents that can cause this type of tissue injury. chemicals that simply irritate the eyes without causing harm in general do not prompt a prerequisite for an eyewash. If you have a question as to whether or not you need an eyewash, verify the material safety data sheet for the chemical in question.

There are also a assortment of OSHA regulations that are connected to exact types of procedures that require employers supply eye washes, including, for example, anywhere there is likely eye exposure to bloodborne pathogens and in dipping and coating operations.

There are various types of eyewashes (see below); however, all eyewashes should satisfy precise OSHA requirements:

· Emergency eyewash stations must be open for instant emergency use (this means that it is easily easy to get to and is situated near the area where the risk is present).

· Eyewashes must be accessible regardless of the amount of the corrosive chemical present—the trigger for the need for an eyewash is that people may be subjected to eye damage as a effect of the existence of the material.
There are many types of eyewash stations. Plumbed eyewash stations get tap water from the pipes connected to your facility's water supply. Types of plumbed units comprise those that connect to sink faucets, stand-alone or wall-mount bowl units, and those that are used in arrangement with a drench shower. The advantage of a plumbed unit is that, despite the fact that it needs to be turned on at least once weekly, it does not demand monitoring for an expiration date and does not have to be refilled after use. Plumbed units, conversely, can be more arduous to position near a danger area because, if plumbing is not available, it requires fixing or rerouting of pipes.

There are essentially two types of self-contained eyewash stations. The first uses tap water mixed with a preservative to diminish the potential of bacterial growth. This type of station normally requires that it be cleaned and refilled every six months because, while the preservative reduces bacterial growth, it does not purge it. The second kind of self-contained unit uses sealed cartridges containing purified water or saline solution rather than tap water. These types of self-contained units generally have a 24-month shelf life. When the that date has been reached, the cartridges are removed and replaced with brand new ones. The benefits of self-contained units are that they don't mandate plumbing, can be moved to a another site far more easily than plumbed units, and don't need weekly activation.

The disadvantage of the units is that expiration dates need to be thoroughly inspected and once used, the unit needs to be refilled or replaced. Always check the manufacturer's data to validate the shelf-life of eyewash fluid and maintenance and refilling necessities.

A additional type of eyewash equipment is personal eyewash equipment like squeeze bottles. This type of eyewash can be used to support eyewash stations but should not be used in place of one. A squeeze bottle eyewash can be a practical tool in allowing for early, immediate flushing of the eyes when stored near a hazardous area, preserving time for the employee to get to the eyewash. However, they do not provide a adequate quantity of fluid to flush the eyes for 15 minutes—which is considered required for correctly flushing chemicals from the eyes. Also, personal eyewash equipment is generally not considered a good option with water-sensitive chemicals (materials like sodium and potassium that react with water).

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

About The Author: Mike Richards is a risk management expert specializing in industrial safety equipment and health safety equipment.

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