Health & Safety Insights

Think about your eyewash stations for a minute. You hope your workers never need to use them. Yet, if they ever do, will your units be in working order should a chemical incident occur? While these devices may seem unassuming, their upkeep is critical to mitigating worker eye injuries, fending off high-risk findings during a healthcare survey, and avoiding stiff OSHA citations and penalties.

Eyewash requirements

Sifting through your accreditation standards, you may not find the word “eyewash.” Don’t let this lull you into thinking the eyewash station is beyond the reach of a survey. Look further, and you’ll see standards to minimize risks related to using and handling hazardous chemicals. Those are the high-risk standards surveyors will cite if they stumble on eyewashes in poor condition and/or discover that their maintenance and inspection were insufficient.

Similarly, OSHA regulations offer very little detail, but, again, don’t be fooled. For example, paragraph (c) of 29 CFR 1910.151 simply says, “Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.” The word “suitable” is the operative word. 

Both your accreditation agency and OSHA will turn to the latest ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014 (R2020) consensus standard to determine if you are maintaining and inspecting your eyewash stations “by the book.” This is the American National Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment. In addition, these authorities will expect that you meet the eyewash manufacturer’s operating, maintenance, and inspection instructions for your units. 

If an eyewash is found to be “unsuitable,” a high-risk survey finding(s) and/or serious OSHA citation(s) could be issued. Moreover, workers who rely on these inadequate eyewash stations may suffer greater eye damage and vision loss.

Weekly maintenance

Maintenance of your eyewash stations each week is essential to ensure their functionality, effectiveness, and compliance. In fact, monthly checks won’t cut it with surveyors and inspectors.

Keep your eyewash manufacturer instructions at the ready so that frontline healthcare workers doing the maintenance can stay on track. Whether the eyewash station is permanently connected to a source of potable water (i.e., plumbed) or has self-contained flushing fluid, it needs to be checked weekly as indicated below:

• Activate your plumbed eyewashes weekly to flush the fluid — This does two things — assures that you have flushing fluid in the head of the unit and clears out any debris that may block the line or bacteria that may be growing in the stagnant water. Follow your manufacturer instructions about the duration of flush, which depends on the volume and complexity of the piping. For instance, the flush could take three minutes or more, but, again, please check the instructions. Also, adhere to any of your own organization’s policy on duration.
• For self-contained eyewashes, a weekly check must be done visually — These eyewashes contain their own fluid, but that fluid is not unlimited like it is for a plumbed eyewash. Turn to the manufacturer instructions for your specific devices to learn when you need to add or replace fluid. Be sure to use only solutions appropriate for flushing eyes. 

While you conduct these maintenance checks, it’s a good idea to look at the overall cleanliness and condition of your units. Nozzles should be protected from contaminants. What’s more, you might spot leaks, corrosion, or damaged/broken parts. If something is in disrepair like this, get it fixed or replaced right away.

Also, for good measure, see that the eyewash-location sign is prominently displayed and that the eyewash itself is not blocked by boxes, clutter, or other obstructions.

Annual inspections

Inspections performed yearly help too to keep these stations compliant and in top-notch condition, and they are required by the Z358.1 standard. While you will want to be sure to review your manufacturer’s operating and inspection instructions and the Z358.1 standard itself, here are some areas of focus to consider in your annual inspection:

• 10-second distance — If work processes will expose workers to hazardous chemicals, then there should be no delay in reaching the eyewash station. The Z358.1 standard recommends keeping the travel time to 10 seconds or less, which is equivalent to about 55 feet or less away. On the other hand, you might need the eyewash even closer if your workers are dealing with a highly corrosive hazard.
• Accessibility — The eyewash should be on the same floor, so the worker does not need to take the stairs or an elevator. At the same time, ensure the path is clear. In most cases, a door is not allowed between the workspace and the station. (See Appendix B to the Z358.1 standard for exceptions.) Also, find out if the eyewash spray is at the proper height of between 33 and 53 inches. All these inspection items assist in giving your workers quick access to the eyewash. 
• Safety — Your eyewash should not be installed next to electrical hazards. Make sure this inspection point is not overlooked.
• Visibility — Eyewash stations should draw attention to themselves. This guides workers in an emergency. Your stations should feature prominent signs with large letters, stand in a well-lit area, and be painted in bright colors. Green, for example, typically denotes first-aid and eyewash stations. 
• No leaks — For plumbed eyewash stations, check piping for leaks when the valve is closed. This is a visual check. 
• Freeze protection — Clearly, you don’t want the flushing fluid to freeze up. Protect your units from freezing if that is a possibility. 
• No-hands operation — Plumbed eyewashes need to have a valve that stays open once activated, so the worker does not need to hold the valve while irrigating the eyes. See that your eyewashes operate hands-free in this way.
• Two-eye coverage — Chemical incidents may impact both eyes. Therefore, you should confirm that your plumbed eyewashes irrigate both eyes at one time. 
• Proper flow pattern — Refer to the Z358.1 standard for the required flow pattern of the spray and watch your eyewash in action to see that these criteria are met.
• Tepid water supply — Check that you have an adequate supply of potable water or other flushing fluid at a suitable temperature, generally between 60- and 100-degrees Fahrenheit. This is considered “tepid.” However, you should determine if the fluid temperature needs to be adjusted so as not to react with any chemical that may be involved. Use a thermometer gauge for this temperature reading when checking a plumbed eyewash. 
• Low flow rate and duration — Verify that your eyewash equipment will provide copious but low velocity flow. From a Z358.1 standard perspective that means at least 0.4 gallons per minute for a duration of 15 minutes. The idea is to thoroughly rinse the eyes to rid them of the chemical, but you don’t want the eyewash to gush fluid out so fast it harms the worker. You can use a flowmeter to make this inspection on a plumbed eyewash.

In addition, follow any other manufacturer instructions for the yearly conformance inspection of plumbed and self-contained eyewashes.

Personal wash bottles

Note that any personal wash bottles are not considered eyewash units, but rather a “supplement” to plumbed or self-contained eyewash stations. Yet, these too should be maintained and inspected at the frequency and in the manner prescribed by manufacturer instructions. These squeeze bottles may require frequent attention, refilling, and maintenance since they lose water to evaporation, may become contaminated, and are easily misplaced. Freezing and over-100-degree temperatures also pose a threat to this equipment. 

Documentation

As you perform your maintenance checks and inspections, it’s wise to document them. Records help you ensure that these all-important action items are conducted. They show a surveyor or inspector that you’re following the required frequencies. A trend analysis of your findings over time may also reveal any patterns that suggest common issues with your eyewashes.

Final thoughts

Providing emergency eyewashes can minimize the effects of a chemical incident on the job. However, for these devices to work, they must be properly maintained and inspected. Accreditation surveyors and OSHA inspectors would agree that there’s no room for complacency when it comes to eyewash station upkeep.

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