Emergency safety showers is a vital piece of safety equipment in any working environment. In fact, one thing you should always have on site if there is a risk you might be exposed to any hazardous substances or corrosive substances is an emergency safety shower.
These days there is a variety of safety showers available to install in a workplace including when you have electrical power and even if you don’t have any plumbing. Electrical emergency safety showers are electrically operated to control the temperature of the water and even for places without plumbing you can get emergency safety showers that come with a tank in which you can also control the temperature. Maintenance and upkeep of your safety showers are important, and making sure they work the way they are supposed to is vital in case an emergency situation strikes.
In the event of an incident, it is important to remember that the first 10 -15 seconds are the most crucial and is when you need to react the fastest. There are many various studies that show that even a few more seconds can be devastating and can result in serious injury. There are many common mistakes people might make, and even things that can usually malfunction with an emergency shower so arming yourself with the right information can provide even greater safety in your workplace.
Knowing what the most common mistakes are that happen when using emergency safety showers will prove to be great information when training employees. The most common mistake that seems to happen is not testing the water temperature. Some people think that applying extremely cold water will be enough for a shower or eyewash, but this is not true. Hot water is also not the answer; an ideal temperature for an emergency safety shower is a lukewarm, comfortable, nice temperature. If the water is either too hot or too cold it might not be safe for the person who needs to take an emergency shower and they are most likely not going to be able to wash for the full 15 minutes they need to wash.
The leading causes of not washing for a full 15 minutes is usually a faulty emergency shower or insufficient training. 15 minutes is required to have a thorough wash down to make sure that any hazardous chemicals or substances are washed off. It is important to run regular safety checks on any and all equipment so that any faults can be detected in time and get repaired or replaced. It is also crucial to provide the efficient amount of training, and re-train members when necessary.
There are always going to be advancements in any kind of safety equipment to make use, comfort and safety better than before. Comfort especially. One of the newer features included in safety showers is a smoother water flow with a more comfortable water pressure to ease the worker’s pain. Flow is another important feature that has been upgraded to regulate the water control. This ensures that anything in the eyes, on the face, or the body gets an even wash down to flush any contaminants right off.
The most important and crucial part of emergency safety showers is providing and receiving the proper training on how to use the equipment, in which situation to use the equipment, and not to panic when a situation arises. Without the proper training, you can increase injuries and without proper equipment the workplace can be liable.