Emergency Showers and Eyewashes - CLEVELAND AMERICAN ...

Emergency Showers and Eyewashes
Mike Adkins
Wednesday, October 31, 10:00-11:1511:15 a.m.

“Safety First! How to Specify Emergency
Showers and Eyewashes”
Presented by Mike Adkins, Guardian Equipment.
ASPE Convention Charlotte, N.C. October 31, 2012

Agenda
• Occupational Safety & Health Administration and American National
Standards Institute – general and specific guidelines and requirements
• Understanding ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2009
• Product categories and examples
• What else do we need to know?
• Roles and responsibilities of a specifier
• Design challenges and solutions

Legal Requirements
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was enacted to assure that
workers are provided with “safe and healthful working conditions.” Under this
law, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created
and authorized to adopt safety standards and regulations to fulfill the mandate
of improving worker safety.
• OSHA has adopted several regulations with the primary regulation contained
in 29 CFR 1910.151. It states the following……

OSHA
29 CFR 1910-151.C
“…where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious
corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of
the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate
emergency use.”

OSHA & ANSI
• OSHA does not define what constitutes “suitable facilities” for drenching the eyes or body. The
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) established a standard covering emergency eyewash and
shower equipment.
• This standard -ANSI Z358.1- is intended to serve as a guideline for the proper design, certification,
performance, installation, use and maintenance of emergency equipment.
• It has been adopted by many governmental health and safety organizations within and outside the U.S.,
as well as the International Plumbing Code. In locations that have adopted the IPC it is part of the
building code. The Uniform Plumbing Code has also adopted the standard. States who use the UPC
will eventually be adopting the 2012 version.

International Plumbing Code 2003
http://www.iccsafe.org/government/adoption.html

Uniform Plumbing Code 2012 Section 416.0

ANSI Z358.1 was originally adopted in 1981. It was revised
in 1990, 1998, 2004 and again in 2009. This presentation
presents the provisions of the 2009 version of the standard.
ANSI Z358.1 - 2009

General Considerations
As mentioned before, ANSI Z358.1-2009 contains provisions regarding the
design, certification, performance, installation, use and maintenance of
various types of emergency equipment.
In addition to these provisions, there are also general provisions and
considerations that should also be addressed when considering emergency
equipment. These include the following:

General Considerations
• First Aid Devices
• Location of Emergency Equipment
• Water Temperature
• Shut Off Valves
• Corrosion Resistance
• Freezing
• Disposal of Water
• Emergency Response
• O&M Information

First Aid Devices
Emergency eyewash and shower units are designed to deliver
water to rinse contaminants from a user’s eyes, face or body. As
such, they are a form of first aid equipment to be used in the event
of an accident. However, they are not a substitute for primary
protective devices (including eye and face protection and protective
clothing) or for safe procedures for handling hazardous materials.

Location of Emergency Equipment
• In general, the ANSI standard provides that emergency equipment be
installed within 10 seconds walking time from the location of a hazard
(approximately 55 feet). The equipment must be installed on the same level
as the hazard (i.e. accessing the equipment should not require going up or
down stairs or ramps). The path of travel from the hazard to the equipment
should be free of obstructions. (e.g.- Doors)
• There are certain circumstances where these guidelines may not be
adequate. For example, where workers are handling particularly strong acids,
caustics or other materials where the consequences of a spill would be very
serious, emergency equipment should be installed immediately adjacent to
the hazard.

Location of Emergency Equipment cont…
Laboratory environments may also require special consideration. It has been
common in many laboratory buildings to install emergency equipment in a
corridor or hallway outside of the lab room. Since a door is now considered
an obstruction, this no longer satisfies the provisions of the standard. For
laboratory environments, we recommend installing (i) recessed laboratory
eyewash/shower cabinets inside the lab room and (ii) dual purpose
eyewash/drench hose units at lab sinks. The recessed cabinet units are a
space saving design that satisfy the standard’s requirements for both a
shower and an eye/face wash, and are handicapped accessible, while the
eyewash/drench hoses provide immediate protection for the eyes, face or
body when a spill involves a relatively small amount of hazardous material.

Water Temperature
• The 2009 version of the standard states that the water temperature delivered
by emergency equipment should be “tepid” (60-100ºF). However, where it is
possible that a chemical reaction might be accelerated by warm water, a
medical professional should be consulted to determine what the optimum
water temperature would be.
• The delivery of tepid water to emergency equipment may raise complicated
engineering issues. At minimum, it generally involves providing both hot and
cold water to the unit, and then installing a blending valve to mix the water to
the desired temperature.

Average Ground Water Temperature (F)

Since plumbed emergency equipment must be
connected to a potable water supply line, it may be
advisable to install a shut off valve on the water line,
upstream of the unit, to facilitate maintenance of the
equipment. If a shut off valve is installed, provisions
must be made to prevent unauthorized closure.
Shut Off Valves

Corrosion Resistance
Emergency Equipment must be constructed of materials that will
not corrode when exposed to water for extended periods of time.
Acceptable materials include galvanized steel and many types of
plastic. We can consider the below materials for harsh industrial
applications:
•Epoxy coated galvanized steel
•Chrome plated brass
•Stainless steel
•PVC

Freezing
We must protect equipment when it is installed in areas that have
a freeze potential. There are a number of different types of
freeze-resistant equipment, including:
• Units that have a temperature actuated bleed valve that permit water to flow
through the unit when the temperature drops below freezing. These units are
generally used only where the possibility of freezing is very infrequent.
• Units on which the valve is mounted behind a wall or buried below the frost line
and is remote activated.
• Combination units that are electrically heated (heat traced) and insulated
• Units that have a heated enclosure to fully contain and protect both the
equipment and the user.

Emergency Response
Simply installing emergency equipment is not a sufficient means of
assuring worker safety. The following items should be achieved:
• Employee location training
• Employee proper usage training
• Weekly activation of device to make sure it is working properly
• At the very least, an annual compliance inspection of the unit
• Employer developed response plan. The focus of the response plan should be to
provide assistance to the injured worker as quickly as possible. Alarm systems may
be installed in conjunction with emergency equipment. They serve to alert personnel
and summon assistance if an eyewash or shower is activated. IT IS
RECOMMENDED INSTALLING AN ALARM UNIT WITH ANY EMERGENCY
EYEWASH OR SHOWER UNIT.

Disposal of Water
• The standard does not include any provisions regarding the disposal of waste water.
However, designers must give consideration to where waste water will go. In particular,
care must be taken that waste water not create a hazard (i.e. by creating a pool in which
someone might slip) or freeze.
• Generally, most eyewash, eye/face wash and safety station units are designed with waste
connections for connection to drain piping. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT EMERGENCY
EYEWASH AND SHOWER UNITS BE CONNECTED TO DRAIN PIPING. FOR
EMERGENCY SHOWERS AND FOR OTHER UNITS WITHOUT WASTE
CONNECTIONS, FLOOR DRAINS SHOULD BE PROVIDED. After an emergency
eyewash or shower has been used, the waste water may contain hazardous materials that
cannot or should not be introduced into a sanitary sewer. It may be necessary to connect
the drain piping from the emergency equipment or floor drain to the building’s acid waste
disposal system or to a neutralizing tank.

O&M Information
The manufacturer of the emergency equipment shall provide detailed
instructions on the proper installation, operation, inspection and
maintenance of the emergency equipment. This information should be
accessible to maintenance personnel.

Equipment Examples
• Eyewashes
• Eye/Face Washes
• Showers
• Safety Stations
• Eyewash/Drench Hose Units
• Barrier-Free Equipment
• Freeze-Resistant Units
• Portable Units
• Thermostatic Mixing Valves
• Alarms

Eyewash Checklist

Eyewash Types
G1849 Deck Mounted Eyewash G1814P Eyewash G1891 All-Stainless Steel Eyewash

EyeFace Wash Checklist

Eye/Face Wash Types
Deck Mounted Eye/Face Wash
Wall Mounted Eye/Face Wash
With Plastic Bowl
All-Stainless Steel
Eye/Face Wash

Drench Hose Checklist

Drench Hose Types
Wall Mounted Drench Hose Unit Wall Mounted Angled Drench Hose Unit Deck Mounted Drench Hose Unit

Eyewash/Drench Hose Checklist

Eyewash/Drench Hose Types
Wall Mounted
Eyewash/Drench Hose Unit
Deck Mounted
Eyewash/Drench Hose Unit
Wall Mounted Angled
Eyewash/Drench Hose Unit

Shower Checklist

Emergency Shower Types
Horizontal Emergency Shower
Semi-Concealed Emergency Shower

Safety Station Checklist

Safety Station Types
Safety Station with Hand/Foot Control All-Stainless Steel Safety Station All-PVC Steel Safety Station

Barrier-Free Checklist

Barrier-Free Examples
Recessed Safety Station
Non-Skirted Barrier-Free
Eye/Face Wash
Barrier-Free
Safety Station

Freeze-Resistant Solutions
Freeze-Resistant Safety Station
Heat Traced Safety Station

Portable Units
Gravity Operated Portable Eye Wash
with Heated Orange Insulation Jacket
Portable Eyewash/Drench Hose Unit

Emergency Thermostatic Mixing Valves
Common Questions:
• What is “tepid water”? 60-100’F
• How do I get tepid water to the emergency fixtures?
• Do I use a separate supply?
• Should I be concerned about Legionella bacteria?
• Is my valve ASSE 1071 Approved?
• ASSE 1016, 1070, 1069 OR 1017 DEVICES MUST NOT
BE USED FOR EMERGENCY APPLICATIONS.
Thermostatic Mixing Valve
with Cold Water Bypass

Emergency Thermostatic Mixing Valves & ASSE 1071
• Emergency mixing valves should have a limiting device to prevent
unauthorized temperature adjustment of 100ºF or above.
• Upon hot water failure, the mixing valve should continue to flow cold water.
This is called cold water bypass and it should still meet the minimum flow
requirements of the respective fixture.
• Upon cold water failure, the mixing valve should shut off the hot water flow.
• Valve must have the ability to maintain outlet temperature during a 25ºF
increase in the hot water supply temperature without readjusting the set point.

Local Codes Mandate ASSE 1071

Tempering System Solutions
Tempering systems are furnished with:
• 119 gallon water heater - sized for 20 GPM for
fifteen minutes
• Recirculation control panel
• Recirculation heater
• Recirculation pump
• Recirculation UV light
• Booster pump
• Thermostatic mixing valve
• Expansion Tank
• Galvanized steel skid
• 100% factory tested
Tempering System

Options and Accessories
Audio/Visual Alarm
Modesty Curtain on Safety Station

What Isn’t Covered in ANSI Z358.1
• Local plumbing codes
• ADA compliance
• Manufacturer product quality
• Vandal resistance
• Types of chemicals
• Disposal
– Pollutants/acid waste

Specifier Responsibilites
• To specify properly you need to:
– Know your codes
– Know your facility
– Know your hazards
– Know available products
– Err in excess
• Require products to be fully assembled and water
tested prior to shipment.

Design Challenges and Solutions
Four major project categories have been selected based on their unique design
issues. These areas are:
1. Clean Rooms
2. Healthcare
3. Laboratories
4. Outdoor Applications- Energy Plants, Water and Wastewater Treatment
Plants, etc.

Clean Rooms
Clean Room construction includes, but not limited to:
• Micro-electronics manufacturing
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Vivariums

Clean Room Design Challenges
Some of the potential requirements for clean rooms:
1. Avoid bacteria growth by limiting standing water.
2. Reduce potential water damage from emergency eyewashes and showers.
3. Air flow concerns: Clean rooms are either pressurized (positive air flow)) or
depressurized (negative air flow).
4. Particulates must be avoided. No materials that may contaminate, such as:
flaking paint, corrosive metals (i.e.-steel, brass).
5. Anti-static fabrics: to avoid dust build up.

Clean Room Design Solutions

Healthcare Design Challenges
• Frequent design issues for healthcare facilities:
• Limited Space
• Barrier Free Access
• Tepid Water
• Bacteria in stagnate flushing fluid
• Germ transfer

Healthcare Design Solutions

Laboratory Design Challenges
There are two major categories of labs: Research and Teaching.
Some design considerations can be:
• Corrosive chemical exposure
• Space limitations
• Vandal Resistance
• Universal Accessibility

Laboratory Design Solutions

Laboratory Design Solutions

Outdoor Design Challenges
• Outdoor environments present some of the most difficult challenges for
specifying emergency equipment. Here are a few points why:
• Freezing must be prevented
• Delivered flushing fluid temperature shall be between 60-100’F
• Corrosive environments: salt air, industrial chemical fumes (Mining, WWTP,
WTP, Oil refineries, Swimming pool chemical storage.)
• UV light exposure
• Seismic

Outdoor Design Solutions

Outdoor Design Solutions

“Safety First!” Summary
• To specify properly you need to:
– Know your codes
– Know your facility
– Know your hazards
– Know available products
– Err in excess
Thank you ASPE attendees
Mike Adkins, Guardian Equipment