Emergency safety showers are safety fittings required for businesses at risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals. It’s one thing to install a safety shower to comply with industry regulations, but it’s another thing for workers to know how to use it.
They are fixed to provide a consistent flow of water for rinsing out chemicals or any harmful substance from the eyes, clothes, and skin to limit potential harm. So, in this article, we want to cover everything you need to know about using a safety shower during emergencies.
Table of Contents
Assessment and Action
When you’re faced with an emergency, the first thing you want to do is assess the situation. How far away are you from the safety shower, and how long will it take you to get to it. Once you do that, you want to make your way to the shower as quickly as possible, because chemical exposure spreads quickly.
A quick tip: Your emergency safety shower should be located at most 8 seconds away from any workstation with hazardous chemicals.
Take Off Clothing
Once you get to the shower, take off any material that has come in contact with the chemical to prevent transfer to covered parts of your body. Leave them at a small distance away, and immediately turn on the shower.
Activate
Some safety showers are activated using a lever or a handle. Once you get to the shower, pull the lever or turn on the shower immediately to activate the water flow. The good thing about a safety shower is some can deliver up to 80 liters of water in a single minute.
This means the water will hit every area it needs to, preventing burns and residuals. Some emergency safety showers come with eye stations, while some industries install them separately. If your eyes have been exposed to the chemical, you’ll need to use the eye station as soon as you can.
How Long Should You Use an Emergency Safety Shower?
Typically, you should stay under the shower for at least 15 to 20 minutes because a good decontamination process using an emergency safety shower has to be thorough.
If you want to read more about safety showers and spill kits, check out our detailed blog. We provide the best range of products for a wide range of industries, so reach out to us if you need clarity about placing an order.
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