Emergency showers and eyewash stations provide on-the-spot decontamination. They allow workers to flush away hazardous substances that can cause injury. ... Emergency showers and eyewash stations are a necessary backup to minimize the effects of accident exposure to chemicals.
Emergency eye wash equipment is used to drench or flush the eyes with water when dust, irritants, or chemicals enter the eye. The term is sometimes written as one word, eyewash. These devices are sometimes referred to as "eye wash fountains".
Per 29 CFR, OSHA has numerous standards that require eye and face protection, including personal protective equipment such as safety glasses/goggles in addition to emergency eye wash facilities.
Emergency equipment such as eye washes is the final line of defense against eye hazards. The preferred sequence for reducing risk of injury in the workplace is:
-Elimination. Physically remove the hazard from the workplace.
-Substitution. One can select chemicals that are less hazardous or change a production process to avoid generating a harmful material. Substitution protects everyone by removing a potential hazard.
-Engineering controls. For example, risk can be further reduced by using fume hoods to contain harmful vapors or using safety shields to block bits of metal or laser light from escaping. Engineering controls protect all workers, not just the user.
-Administrative controls. These involve work procedures such as written safety policies, rules, supervision, schedules, and training with the goal of reducing the duration, frequency, and severity of exposure to hazardous chemicals or situations.
-Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as safety glasses/goggles or respirators. PPE protects only the wearer.
-First Aid and Emergency Equipment. Eye washes, fire extinguishers, and first aid kits are used only after an accident or injury has occurred and should never be relied upon as a primary means of protection!
Note that this approach is a multi-layer defense. By addressing each of these areas, one can minimize risks at many levels and hopefully never reach the last line of defense, emergency equipment.
