Why are eye wash stations essential at the Workplace?
Working environment of manufacturing, chemical or construction industries generally have small particles flying in the air and to be protected from them, workers wear safety glasses, goggles or face mask.
Thursday August 24, 2017 , 3 min Read
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Working environment of manufacturing, chemical or construction industries generally have small particles flying in the air and to be protected from them, workers wear safety glasses, goggles or face mask. But what if still these particles enter into the eyes of workers? It can cause a serious eye injury or even vision loss in certain cases. The eyewash stations here play an important role. Eyewash stations are devices designed for the immediate protection of the eyes of the worker who has been harmed by any kind of flying substance or chemical.
Basically, these stations come in two types; portable and plumbed. Plumbed eyewash stations are installed at one place and owing to this restricted flexibility, it falls to be an expensive option. The portable eyewash stations are more preferred at the workplace. They can be easily taken to the place of the accident instead of making the injured person run to it.
How to use this station?
The moment you feel something has entered the eyes, rush to the station. Push the lever to activate the unit. The covers will pop off and the fluid will begin flowing out from the faucet heads. Get your eyes directly in contact with the stream of flushing fluid. Keep rolling your eyes from left to right, up and down so that the fluid can clean your eye properly. Continue doing this for 15 minutes because it is the minimum time required to clean the eyes effectively. After doing this, visit a doctor once to make sure that everything is fine. The temperature of water rolling out from the station is between 60 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit which is comfortable enough to wash eyes. In case you are wearing lenses in your eyes then remove it before getting the eyes flushed.
An eyewash station provides immediate decontamination and comfort to the eye. Every second count after a substance enter into an eye and can really make a big difference in the long-term. Therefore, it is suggested to place an eyewash station in every location of the workplace. Ideally, the station should be located 10 to 20 feet from a hazardous area and not anyway far from it. It also needs to be close to emergency exit owing to the short-term relief it provides. Essentially the station should be accessible and identifiable, you can use sign boards to show a clear and short path to it so that the injured person gets quick relief.
Further, these stations are cost effective and can be maintained easily. The stations must be installed in the workplace and it must be taught to all the employees to use and maintain it.
