Arboles UK: Emergency Eyewash Considerations

Arboles UK - Emergency Eyewash being tested
A trigger operated emergency eyewash with a braided hose

When handling or using hazardous substances in workplace areas such as laboratories, factories, food manufacturing etc all organisations have a duty of care to keep their employees safe and offer the correct PPE should the unthinkable happen.

 

This is where you come in! So, you’ve landed a project to deliver a bunch of emergency eyewashes. Not sure where to start? Read on…. 

 

The purpose of any emergency device, be it an emergency shower or eyewash, is to provide the casualty with a constant flow of clean water until the chemical has been safely flushed or until suitably qualified medical help arrives. 

 

You’ll find there are two principal areas to be considered: 
1. Identify the right product set for your customers needs
2. Find the right location.
Both of these are pretty straightforward

 

What you need to be looking for is can the eyewash be accessed within 10 seconds when the casualty has impaired vision or mobility? If not, then more than one eyewash is required.  To add a bit more substance to this, the right location needs to be clutter free, easily accessible from at least 3 directions and be in a place where the casualty isn’t going to cause themselves more harm due to trip hazards or be impeded other equipment etc. 

 

In the world of emergency eyewashes, you have 2 possibilities – wall mounted or bench mounted eyewashes:

 

Wall Mounted

The wall mounted eyewash can take the feed through the wall or up the wall.

 

Bench Mounted

The bench mounted devices sit on the bench or can be recessed in the beniching and take the supply (normally) from beneath the bench. If you’re looking at installing a bench mounted eyewash in a school, then the 3000 is the one to go to as it can be used to wash down equipment too! 

 

Now you’ve got your product sorted, you know where the feed is coming from and you’ve checked to make sure that it’s situated away from any trip hazards, slip hazards, the casualty isn’t going to run into a glass cabinet etc! What else is there to know?

 

There are a couple of standards that look after the world of emergency devices and they are the America based ANSI, the European standard EN15154, the Spanish APPLUS and the German DVGW – which all our products meet and exceed – have a look at our Certifications. Warranty and customer service/support should be something else to consider from a supplier in case you run in to any problems and need a second pair of eyes.  

 

Need advice on making a decision for your product? Give us a call on 0044 (0)1204 388 814 or use the Contact Us page.