Emergency decontamination equipment, such as eyewash facilities and safety showers, require ongoing care and proper maintenance to remain in good working condition. If the equipment isn’t used in the way that it should be, it won’t be safe and effective in the event of a fire, chemical emergency or contamination accident. Here at STOREMASTA, we often find that workplaces have let quality safety equipment become non-compliant, simply due to poor housekeeping practices or deliberate misuse by staff.
This post will help you maintain your eyewash facilities and safety showers, by identifying 5 ways your workers and contractors may misuse your safety equipment. We’ll also show you some simple ways that you can rectify this behaviour — and maintain the compliance and safety of your emergency decontamination equipment.
REMEMBER: Using a safety shower, eyewash unit, or drench hose inappropriately exposes each unit to additional wear and tear and may reduce the service life of the equipment.
While equipment can be misused in a variety of ways – through lack of adequate training or just a general disregard for the facilities – we have noted 5 common ways that staff incorrectly use emergency decontamination facilities. By knowing what not to do, you can implement procedures and additional training, so that all staff are up-to-speed with how to correctly use and maintain their emergency decontamination equipment.
Don’t allow your workers to get into the habit of using showers, drench hoses and eyewash stations as a drinking fountain or place to rinse off after coming in from the hot sun.
Staff shouldn’t be using emergency facilities as a tap to clean their hands and bodies.
An emergency can happen at any time, to anyone, on any shift — and a worker washing their face could create an unnecessary obstruction. Every second counts for an injured worker who is severely burned or is blinded by acid, so make sure each unit is always ready to save a life.
Correct inappropriate use by:
Using a decontamination station to clean work tools and equipment can introduce dangerous substances to an area that is designed to serve an injured worker.
Cleaning items, such as tools and equipment, in emergency facilities will contaminate the area.
There are documented cases where workers have suffered additional injuries after being exposed to chemical residues on eyewash nozzles. In one incident, it was because lab employees were using a bench-mounted eyewash for rinsing chemicals from glassware — instead of walking all the way to the sink.
We suggest the following:
Sometimes, staff may not know what to do with a strange liquid — and may pour it down the sink or into the nearest drain. Other times, staff are simply too lazy to follow the correct procedures for the disposal of liquid chemicals.
Don’t ever dispose of chemical substances down the drain of your eyewash or safety shower.
Whatever the reason, disposing of potentially hazardous waste — in and around the safety shower or eyewash — can contaminate the equipment. This unsafe practice will render the equipment unsafe for emergency treatment.
Corrosive waste could also damage the equipment or react dangerously with the construction materials or componentry.
Implement the following to improve the safety of equipment:
When selecting an installation location for your emergency equipment, you must ensure that there is a clear path between the emergency decontamination station and the chemical hazard. As a requirement of the Australian Standard AS 4775-2007 - Emergency eyewash and shower equipment, this guideline enables the emergency decontamination of workers in the shortest possible timeframe.
Therefore, you must not allow your workers to clog up the path with pallets, raw materials, PPE, stationery supplies or personal items. This will not only put your equipment in non-compliance, but it could also mean the difference between a minor injury and a major health issue.
You are required to keep a clear path between your equipment and a chemical hazard.
Sometimes workers from other departments don’t understand the logistics of different work areas and may unwittingly park a forklift or leave an IBC in the wrong place.
You can improve staff behaviours by:
It is a requirement of the Australian Standards that emergency showers and eyewash stations, which are connected to a permanent water supply, must be inspected and activated every week.
This activation of the equipment clears the lines of sediment and blockages. It also ensures that each unit is always fully operational.
There are also further requirements to ensure that units are always:
REMEMBER: Failing to carry out required maintenance and integrity testing could leave an injured worker without access to decontamination equipment. Imagine a worker blinded by a caustic substance who has to be led to another eyewash station because the one in their work area is damaged and inoperable.
Counteract inappropriate use by:
Emergency decontamination facilities need to be activated every week.
Proper care of your emergency decontamination equipment is an essential requirement of Australian Standard AS 4775-2007. Using and maintaining your eyewash and shower facilities in the correct manner will also improve staff safety and increase the longevity of your equipment. If you’d like to learn more about keeping your safety showers and eyewash units 100% compliant, why not access our helpful guide? Our eBook, How To Select and Use Compliant Emergency Showers and Eyewash Equipment, is filled with expert advice on how to choose, install, use and maintain your facilities. Read our free eBook today by clicking on the image below.