Eyewash stations

Where concentrated alkali and/or acids are stored and used on-site as part of the treatment process, care should be exercised to prevent misuse, fire, and security and health hazards. The provision of emergency showers, eyewash stations, etc. needs careful consideration. 

Large capacity balances, centrifuges, and similar equipment are generally placed on a separate counter away from the benches. The size of this counter must be carefully estimated. There must also be room for equipment and supplies kept in the laboratory as opposed to the stockroom. Of course, space must also be allowed for a safety shower and eyewash station. 

The placement of a safety show er and eyewash station must be... 

While there may be places where a shower is not needed, one or more eyewash stations will almost always be required. Some laboratories, in fact, provide a small eyewash device at every sink. Combination shower and eyewash units are also available. Home-made devices are not satisfactory. A standard safety shower gives off a drenching stream of water of much higher volume than a home-type shower. An eyewash emits a large volume of water at a gentle pressure to prevent eye injury. 

The location of fire extinguishers, safety showers, and eyewash stations must be known. 

Use a 10-mL graduated cylinder to measure out about 6 mL of hydrochloric acid. Pour the acid slowly into the test tube. CAUTION If acid gets on your skin, flush with cold running water. Use the eyewash station if acid gets in your eye. 

Know where the fire extinguisher, eyewash station, and fire blankets are located. 

E) Knowing where the fire extinguisher and eyewash stations are located... 

Emergency shower and eyewash station with water heating facility to prevent freezing ... 

Know the location and operation of safety showers and eyewash stations. 

If you get a chemical in your eyes, walk immediately to the eyewash station, turn it on, and lower your head so that your eyes are in the running water. 

Wear safety goggles in the laboratory at all times. Know how to use the eyewash station. 

Record in your lab notebook the location and use of the following emergency items lab shower, eyewash station, and emergency telephone numbers. 

CAUTION If acid gets on your skin, flush with cold running water. Use the eyewash station if acid gets in your eye. 

Make sure you know where the eyewash stations, first aid boxes and fire extjngnisbers are located in each lab you use. 

Know the exact location and proper operation of safety equipment, including eyewash station, safety shower, fire extinguishers, fire blankets, fume hoods, first aid kit, etc. Check frequently to make sure that there is nothing obstructing access to safety equipment. 

Since the safety of our laboratory personnel and visitors to the laboratory is always a primary concern, I would like all our laboratory workers to participate in this exercise in order to increase their awareness of the proper use and testing of our protective and emergency equipment while at the same time determining if this equipment is working properly. The items to be tested are the fume hoods, the eyewash stations, and the safety showers. 

For the procedure, I would like to refer you to the a book entitled Building Student Safety Habits for the Workplace, developed recently by the Partnership for the Advancement of Chemical Technology (PACT), centered at Miami University/Middletown, Middletown, OH, with funding from the National Science Foundation. The specific exercises to be performed are Exercise 4E in which a fume hood is examined and tested, and Exercise 7C in which eyewash stations and safety showers are examined and tested. 

This experiment, if properly executed, follows the guidelines found in an American Chemical Society publication (Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories) which state that fume hoods, eyewash stations, and safety showers should be tested regularly for proper operation and that students should know how to operate these devices. It also serves to help bring safety issues to the forefront in the students study of chemistry. 

Most safety guides emphasize hazard identification and accident prevention. When prevention has failed, personnel must be familiar with the laboratory CHP and RPP accident protocols and the emergency plans described in Section 14.5.2. These plans instruct the worker about what to do and whom to notify. This information includes the facility evacuation routes. Qualified personnel must be prepared to use the accident response equipment placed in the laboratory to ameliorate an accident situation or to aid in treating the injured. Examples of this equipment include fire extinguishers, eyewash stations and safety showers. 

Eyewash stations and washdown showers should be checked periodically for proper flow because they are infrequently used. The saline solution at stand-alone eyewash stations should be replaced at its expiration date, or sooner if it becomes dried out. 

Learn the location of the nearest eyewash station and how to use it and also the nearest sink. If a chemical is splashed into your eye, immediately rinse your eye thoroughly with large amounts of water to dilute and remove the chemical. 

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