Does Your Workplace Need Safety Showers or Eyewash Stations?

Safety showers and eyewash stations are essential in workplace safety, they help keep your employees safe by providing on-the-spot skin, clothing and eye flushing if they come in contact with hazardous chemicals or debris.

After all, no workplace is free from accidents, the best you can do is make sure you partner with a quality safety shower manufacturer to make sure your workplace is ready to deal with these accidents.

But if you’re still wondering why people use safety showers, and if your workplace actually needs one, here’s all the information you need to know, so you can make an educated decision.

What Is A Safety Shower/Eyewash System?

A safety shower is a decontamination device made to wash the body of a person who has been exposed to hazardous substances. The device sprays a large amount of water on the person to flush away materials from the body.

Similarly, an eye wash station also exists, but its function is to flush the eyes, simultaneously if any debris or hazard comes in contact with them. Both devices are meant to be used as a first step of aid before further first aid is provided for the injured worker.

How Do You Know If You Need One?

If your workplace is one where workers can be exposed to harmful chemicals or debris, including glass, sand, dust and welding slag, you need to conduct a risk assessment to consider the types of hazards in place and what can be done to remove, reduce or respond to these hazards, or buy some time until proper first aid can be done.

That being said, it’s important to note that safety showers and eyewash stations are only a last line of defence, before they are even required, elimination processes, isolation of the hazards and personal protective equipment, should come first. If all these systems fail, and an injury occurs, that’s where the eyewash and safety shower comes into play. So before you even consider getting a safety shower, check if your workplace has done everything it can to actually eliminate the hazards that don’t need to be there.

When Are These Safety Devices Used?

If a worker is injured, immediately after contact they should be moved to an eyewash or safety shower, where the skin and clothing should be flushed for a minimum of 15 minutes with tepid water. Once the worker affected has had their eyes or body flushed, they should immediately go to the appropriate first aid, whether that be on-site or to a local hospital.

Where Should They Be Installed?

The Australian Standard sets out some guidelines as to where safety showers and eyewashes should be placed, and these are as follows:

• Safety showers and eyewashes should be located no more than 10 seconds from hazards.
• They must be on the same level as the hazard, with unobstructed paths.
• Safety showers should be identified with signage and green light, with the surrounding area illuminated.
• All staff should know where the safety eyewash/shower stations are and how to use them.
• Safety shower locations should be audited if the workplace layout or worker needs change.
• Regular training needs to be implemented so workers are aware of safety procedures.

Where Do I Get One?

You can’t beat Spill Station Australia for safety equipment in Australia. They are Australia’s leading bunding suppliers, spill kit suppliers, safety shower suppliers and flammable cabinet supplies. They also offer risk assessment and workplace audits if you need help in knowing what safety solutions you need.