EMERGENCY EYEWASH STATION REQUIREMENTS

Who determines when a facility needs an emergency eyewash station?
The Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) is the regulatory agency that specifies where and when this emergency equipment is needed and OSHA depends on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to develop standards to specify the use and performance requirements. ANSI developed the ANSI Z 358.1 standard for this purpose.

What is the criteria that OSHA uses to make this determination?
OSHA states that whenever the eyes or body of a person could be exposed to corrosive material, then a facility shall provide equipment for the flushing and quick drenching in the work area for immediate emergency use. 

What type of material is considered to be a corrosive material?
A chemical would be considered corrosive if it destroys or changes (irreversibly) the structure of human tissue at the site of contact after exposure for a specified period of time thereafter.

How do you know if a material in a workplace is corrosive?
Corrosive material is present in many workplaces either by themselves or contained in other materials. It is a good idea to refer to the MSDS sheets for all materials that there are exposures to in the workplace.

ANSI STANDARDS

How long have the ANSI standards for this equipment been available for the industrial workplace?
The ANSI Z 358.1 standard was first published in 1981 and then revised in 1990, 1998, 2004, 2009 and 2014.

Does the ANSI Z 358.1 standard only apply to eyewash stations?
No, the standard also applies to emergency showers and eye/face wash equipment.

What are the flushing requirements for eyewash stations?
A gravity fed portable and plumbed eyewash both require flushing of 0.4 (GPM) gallons per minute, which is 1.5 liters, for a full 15 minutes with valves that activate in 1 second or less and stay open to leave the hands free.   A plumbed unit should provide the flushing fluid at 30 pounds per square inch (PSI) with an uninterrupted water supply.

Are there different flushing requirements for an eye/face wash station?
An eye/face wash station requires flushing of 3 (GPM) gallons per minute, which is 11.4 liters, for a full 15 minutes   There should be larger eyewash heads that can cover both eyes and face or a face spray that can be used when regular size eye wash heads are installed on the unit. There are also units that have separate sprays for the eyes and separate sprays for the face.  The location and maintenance of eye/face wash equipment is the same as for eyewash stations.  The positioning is the same as for an eyewash station.

What are the flushing requirements for emergency showers?
Emergency showers that are permanently connected to a source of potable water in a facility must have a flow rate of 20 (GPM) gallons per minute, which is 75.7 liters, and 30 (PSI) pounds per square inch of a water supply that is uninterrupted. The valves must activate in 1 second or less and must stay open to leave the hands free.  The valves on these units should not shut off until they are shut off by the user.

Are there any special requirements for Combination Showers that contain an eyewash and shower component?
The eyewash component and the shower component must each be individually certified.  When the unit is turned on, neither component can lose water pressure because of the other component being activated at the same time.

How high should the flushing fluid rise from the head of the eyewash station to safely flush the eyes?
The flushing fluid should be high enough to allow a user to be able to hold eyes open while flushing. It should cover the areas between the inside and outside lines of a gauge at some point less than eight (8) inches.

How fast should the flushing fluid flow out of the heads?
The upward flow should be controlled at a minimum flow rate with low velocity in order to ensure that a victim's eyes are not further damaged by the flow of the flushing fluid.

TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS

What is the temperature requirement for the flushing fluid in an eyewash station according to ANSI/ISEA Z 358.1 2014?
The water temperature for the flushing fluid must be tepid which means somewhere between 60º and 100ºF. (16º-38º C).  Keeping the flushing fluid between these two temperatures will encourage an injured worker to stay within the guidelines of ANSI Z 358.1 2014 for a full 15 minutes of flushing which will help to prevent further injury to the eye(s) and prevention of the further absorption of chemicals.

How can the temperature be controlled to remain between 60º and 100ºF in plumbed emergency eyewash or showers in order to comply with the revised standard?
If the flushing fluid is determined to not be between 60º and 100º, thermostatic mixing valves can be installed to ensure a consistent temperature for the eyewash or shower. There are also turnkey units available where the hot water can be specifically dedicated to one particular unit.  For large facilities with many eye wash and showers, there are more complex systems that can be installed to maintain the temperature between the 60º and 100ºF for all of the units in the facility.

SPECIFICATIONS

What are the specifications for eyewash stations and eye/face wash stations?
The heads of the units must be positioned 33” to 53” from the floor and 6” from the wall.

What are the specifications for Drench Showers?
Drench Showers spray heads must be positioned between 82"-96" from the from the floor.  The pull rod on the shower must be no more than 69: from the floor.  The spray pattern must be 20" in diameter at 60" above the floor.  The center of this spray must be at least 16" away from any obstruction.

LOCATION

Where should this emergency equipment be placed in a work area?
They should be located in an area where an injured worker will not take longer than 10 seconds to reach the unit. This would mean that they should be located approximately 55 ft from the hazard. They must be in a well-lit area that is on the same level as the hazard and they should be identified by a sign.

MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS

What are the maintenance requirements for eyewash stations?
It is important to activate and test a plumbed station weekly to be sure that the unit is working properly and to flush any build-up from the pipes.  Gravity Fed units should be maintained according to the instructions of the individual manufacturers.  In order to be sure that ANSI Z 358.1 requirements are being met, all stations should be inspected annually.

Should the maintenance of this emergency equipment be documented?
Maintenance should always be documented.  After an accident or in a general inspection, OSHA might require this documentation.   Maintenance tags are a good way to accomplish this.

How should the heads of the eyewash station be kept clean and free of debris?
There should be protective dust covers on the heads to keep them free of debris.  These protective dust covers should flip off when the flushing fluid is activated.

DRAINAGE OF FLUSHING FLUID

Where should the flushing fluid drain when an eyewash station is tested on a weekly basis?
A floor drain should be installed that complies with local, state and federal codes for the fluid disposal.  If a drain is not installed, this could create a secondary hazard by creating a pool of water that could cause someone to slip or fall.

Where should the flushing fluid drain after someone has used the eyewash or shower in an emergency situation where the exposure has been to hazardous materials?
This should be a consideration in the assessment and installation of the equipment because sometimes after an incident has occurred, the waste water should not be introduced into a sanitary waste system because it now contains hazardous materials.  The drain piping from the unit itself or the floor drain would have to either be connected to the buildings acid waste disposal system or a neutralizing tank. 

EMPLOYEE TRAINING

Is it necessary to train employees in the use of this flushing equipment?
It is imperative that all employees that could be exposed to a chemical splash from a hazardous material or severe dust be properly trained in the use of this emergency equipment before an accident happens.  A worker should know beforehand how to operate the unit so that there is no time lost in preventing an injury.

Squeeze bottles are considered a secondary eyewash and a supplement to ANSI compliant eyewash stations and are not ANSI compliant and should not be used in place of an ANSI compliant unit.

DRENCH HOSES

Can a drench hose be used in place of an eyewash station?
Regular drench hoses are only considered supplemental equipment and they should not be used in place of them.  There are some units that are fed by a drench hose that can be used as a primary eyewash.  One of the criteria to be a primary unit is that that there should be two heads for flushing both eyes simultaneously.  The flushing fluid should be delivered at a velocity which is low enough so that it does not injure the eyes and delivers a minimum of 3 (GPM) gallons per minute with a drench hose.   There should be a stay open valve that should be able to be turned on in a single movement and it must remain on for 15 minutes without the use of the operator’s hands. The nozzle should be pointing up while being mounted in a rack or holder or if it is deck mounted.

For More Information Visit Our Resources page or browse our selection of eyewash stations.

References for these FAQ’s   

• "The Importance of Eye Flushing Systems" by Sperian Protection
• Haws ANSI Checklist
• ANSI/ ISEA Z358.1-2014 Checklist
• ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014 Standard  

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