1. Basic Requirements

All Emergency Safety Showers and Eye/Facewash units must provide a continuous effective flow of water at the minimum rated pressure.

Properly designed Emergency Safety Showers with manual valves (not self-closing) should deliver a minimum of 20 gallons/min (75 litres/min ) from a water pressure of 2.1 Bar (30 psi) for 15 minutes. Shower heads should produce a conical deluge of water with a diameter of 50 cm at 150 cm from the floor surface when spraying from a height (from floor to shower head) of between 82 and 96 inches (208.3-243.8 cm), and the centre of this spray pattern should be 40 cm from any obstruction.
The shower must be installed so that the height from the floor to the shower actuator is a maximum of 69 inches (175.3 cm)

Eye/Facewash Fountains must provide a continuous effective minimum flow of water in the region of 3.0 gallons/min (11.4 litres/min) at a height (from floor to nozzles) of between 33 and 45 inches (83.8-114.3 cm) for 15 minutes. The distance from the wall to the nozzles must be a minimum of 6 inches, and nozzles must be protected from airborne contaminants. 

An auxiliary aerated Eyebath diffuser on hose (eyewash only unit) must deliver a minimum of 0.4 gallon/min (1.5 litres/min). Higher flow rates for these can usually be achieved by adjusting the flow regulators.

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2. Ease of Operation

Activation devices must be simple to use and easily accessible - even if the victim has impaired vision. Stay-open ball valves operated either by hand pull levers, panic bars or a walk-on foot control enable an Emergency Shower to be operated quickly and efficiently delivering a continuous drench for 15 minutes, allowing the casualty to remove any contaminated clothing without having to hold on to a spring return valve. Quick action valves operated by push flag, Treadle foot control or by simply lifting a lid will enable an Eyebath or Facewash unit to be operated quickly and efficiently for 10-15 minutes and leave the hands free to hold the eyes open throughout the irrigation. It is a requirement that all personnel exposed to hazardous substances be fully trained in the use of Emergency Shower and Eyebath Equipment.

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3. Instant and Positive Operation

Instant and positive operation is imperative for all Emergency Shower and Eyebath Equipment as every second counts in an emergency. Water supply valves must open quickly and simply as maximum flooding action must be provided within 1 second.

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4. Reliability of Equipment

Probably the single most important factor when choosing this type of equipment is how well made it is. Units must be capable of performing their required service even after long periods of idleness. Top quality valves operated by jam-proof, robust and corrosion-resistant actuating devices are essential for total reliability. To ensure reliability of units installed outdoors in cold climates, it is essential that these units be freeze proof. Furthermore, when units are installed outdoors in very hot climates, it is equally as important that these units are insulated from the effects of overheating due to solar radiation.

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5. Installation Tips

Emergency Safety Showers and Eye/Facewash Units should be within 10 seconds reach if an accident occurs; for strong acids and caustics they must be immediately adjacent to the hazard. Ideally they should be centrally located in a prominent position and not obstructed by heavy traffic or clutter. Such spots are easily remembered by panic-stricken persons. Both Emergency Showers and Eye/Facewash units should be on the same level as the hazard.

All units should be clearly labelled with pictogram signs to EC Standard 92/58/EEC (or international equivalent) and wherever possible, green/white stripes or green lights should be used to help identify the Shower/Eyebath areas.

Regardless of the type of fixture installed, only potable water should be used. The inlet water pressure must meet the manufacturers recommended minimum and the supply pipe should have at least the same diameter as the inlet pipe on the equipment - even larger if long lengths of pipe are being used to feed this equipment and especially if only low water pressures are available.

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6. Battling Corrosion

It is very important to ensure that Emergency Showers and Eye/Facewash Fountains are corrosion resistant as this adds to their reliability and dramatically increases their life-span. Units made of conventional materials which are unprotected obviously deteriorate more rapidly in corrosive environments and subsequently require significantly more maintenance. Corrosion resistant outer jackets or other protective coatings are recommended for use in such areas. Plastic coating over stainless steel has been found to be one of the most successful methods of eliminating corrosion on operating handles and linkages, as well as the use of stainless steel nuts, bolts and washers. ABS and Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) eyewash bowls have performed well too, even better than stainless steel which can be affected by the chemicals present on some sites.

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7. Test Programs

It is vital that Emergency Safety Showers and Eye/Facewash Fountains be visually inspected every day to make certain that nothing has been placed in or around them which may prevent quick and easy access. Water flow should be checked at least once a week to “flush the line, and to verify proper operation” and to ensure that the water supply line has not been inadvertently turned off. Eyebaths and Eye/Facewash Fountains should be tested daily and cleaned on a regular basis.

A good maintenance programme for Emergency Safety Showers and Eye/Facewash Fountains is also very important as it can increase their life span and guarantee the equipment’s reliability. As well as being beneficial from an employee’s point of view, the Health and Safety Executive consider them lifesaving equipment, in the same way as they do fire extinguishers; regular servicing can help satisfy the Health and Safety Executive’s Inspector that this equipment is being well maintained.

The ANSI Standard also specifies annual inspections and maintenance logs must be kept.

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8. Plan for Emergencies

Employees must be trained on the equipment operation. Not only maintenance personnel who may install and maintain the equipment, but the workers for whom the equipment is provided.
Periodically practice mock scenarios.
Consider installing an alarm system that alerts others if the emergency equipment is activated.

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