What is the purpose of safety shower?

What is the purpose of safety shower?

Emergency showers and eyewash stations provide on-the-spot decontamination. They allow workers to flush away hazardous substances that can cause injury. Accidental chemical exposures can still occur even with good engineering controls and safety precautions.

What is the correct use of the safety shower?

Safety showers are provided to wash off hazardous chemicals that may be splashed on the skin. Large volumes of water should be used to wash away contaminants and it may be necessary to remove contaminated clothing.

What is the importance of a shower room in a chemical laboratory?

An emergency eyewash and safety shower station are essential equipment for every laboratory that uses chemicals and hazardous substances. Emergency eyewash and safety shower stations serve the purpose of reducing workplace injury and keeping workers away from various dangers.

When should you use the lab safety shower?

Use an emergency shower immediately if your skin is exposed to a hazardous chemical. The first few seconds after exposure to a hazardous chemical (especially a corrosive chemical) are critical. Delaying treatment, even for a few seconds, may result in irreparable tissue damage.

How do lab safety showers work?

How do I use a safety shower?

1. Turn on the shower.
2. Undress. This is no time for modesty.
3. Don’t rub. Rubbing your skin can drive chemicals deeper or further damage already injured tissue.
4. Stay put. Flush your skin for at least 15 minutes or until emergency medical assistance arrives.

What are the OSHA safety shower flow requirements?

Flow Rate 1 Showers require a minimum supply of 20 gallons per minute at a pressure of 30 lbs. per square inch for at least 15 minutes. 2 Eye washes require a minimum flow rate of 0.4 gallons per minute. 3 Combination eye and face wash units must supply at least 3 gallons per minute.

Can a chemical lab have a safety shower?

Most chemical labs have a wall unit safety shower, while mobile professions, such as drug enforcement officials, have portable style showers they can take on calls. As skin contact of corrosive materials can cause serious harm to workers, the sooner a person is placed in a safety shower after exposure the better.

What are the requirements for a safety shower and eyewash station?

Requirements for both. Both safety showers and eyewash stations must be able to provide the recommended flow for at least 15 minutes. This usually translates into having the equipment plumbed in with hard connections to the water supply. For example, a quick calculation for the safety shower at 20 gpm yields 300 gallons needed.

What does it mean to have a safety shower?

Definition – What does Safety Shower mean? A safety shower is a piece of equipment designed to wash away chemicals that have come into contact with the skin or clothing as the result of a chemical splash or spill.