Safety shower eyewash fountains can quickly drench the eyes and face of a person who has been exposed to hazardous corrosive materials.  

They can make the difference between health or serious injury, or even blindness that can result from any number of toxic substances or industrial by-products that often get into workers’ eyes.

Eyewash stations are used by a wide range of organizational and facility types.  Their manufacture, placement within a facility, and protocols of usage are strictly regulated by OSHA and ANSI codes.

Examples of organizations that use them include manufacturing facilities, laboratories, and plants that work with Chemicals.

Safety shower eyewash fountains are also used in environments that we would normally assume are non-hazardous and risk free.

Dangerous chemicals are not the only thing to worry that workers should be concerned about getting into their eyes.  Hot liquids can also damage eyes and should be washed out with tepid water immediately.  This is why many restaurants have emergency eyewash stations near kitchen areas for cooks who inadvertently splashed in the face with hot grease.

Hospitals use these fountains for health care workers who may come into contact with another patient’s bodily fluids. 

Quick access to safety shower eyewash stations is both mandatory by law and absolutely essential to successfully saving the eyes of an injured person.

OSHA codes require that all employees of any organization know exactly where these stations are located so they can treat themselves quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency. 

It is critical to treat the eyes with an appropriate solution within the first 10 to 15 seconds of exposure to a hazardous substance.  This is particularly true of corrosive substances where even a few seconds delay could result in permanent damage or blindness.

There are two main types of safety shower eyewash fountains: plumbed and portable.

Plumbed stations attach to the wall and come in a variety of sizes and fixture types to accommodate specific environments and industry.  Ask a specialist when purchasing a station which one is most appropriate for your environment and most compliant with regulatory codes.

Regulations always recommend plumbed models whenever possible. 

However, in situations where crews are highly mobile, it is not practical to rely on fixed stations alone.  Portable models can be selected that offer immediate relief from injuries.  It is absolutely essential that companies choose portables stations that can deliver the same amount of water as a plumbed station and that can be easily maintenanced to prevent bacterial buildup within the unit. 

The presence of other safety equipment cannot be an excuse to shortcut cost by foregoing expenditures on safety shower eyewash stations.

Just because an operation has apparently lock tight safety protocols, workers still can make mistakes or deliberately take shortcuts on safety when production pressure is high.  Also, protective headgear and goggles may protect the top of the head and the very front of the eyes, but they do not completely block fluids that may spray from a side angle and get in the corner of the eye.