What is an eye showers?

Eye showers are mandatory first aid facilities for workplaces where employees may come into contact with hazardous substances, acids, alkalis, heat, flames and also extreme dirt. Eye showers are used to rinse the eyes and face in emergencies.

Eye showers can save lives

Eye injuries can also occur quickly in areas where there is dust or where wood or metals are processed. Eye showers enable the eyes to be rinsed immediately after an incident to remove foreign bodies, dust or chemicals.

Typical sources of danger in laboratories and industry include:

• Workplaces where toxic or aggressive media are handled.
• Furnaces and open fires, as well as all areas with hot media (e.g. steam, boiling water, oil or grease).
• Work that produces chips and dust.
• Areas where hazardous dust, gases or vapours may occur.

Such workplaces can be found almost everywhere: in laboratories, warehouses, workshops, kitchens, the chemical industry, the metal industry or on ships.

What should be considered when using an eye shower in an first aid situation?

In the case of eye rinsing during first aid, the eye wash should not have direct contact with the contaminated eye or its surroundings. The black rubber protection on the B-SAFETY eye shower only serves as protection against impact injuries. An optimum rinsing effect is achieved at a distance of approx. 150 mm. The diameter of the beam cone at this height is approx. 80 mm. It is recommended to hold the eye open with both hands for application. Seek medical attention!

If possible, the shower head(s) should be emptied after each operation by holding the shower head downwards. This prevents standing water in the shower head and minimizes the possibility of germs.

Behaviour in an emergency

In the event of an accident involving burns or contact with hazardous liquids or gases, it is important to:

• Immediately rinse the affected areas of the body with plenty of water!
• Remove any affected clothing that is not stuck to the skin as quickly as possible!
• Depending on the severity of the chemical burn, the eyes should be rinsed for up to 15 minutes in accordance with BG guidelines!
• In case of eye injuries, hold the eyelids open while rinsing!
• Call an ambulance as quickly as possible and seek medical advice!
• Continue rinsing during transport and in the first-aid room! This requires eye wash bottles, which you can find in our online shop at the following link: https://b-safety24.com/augenspuelflaschen.html
• If possible, inform the doctor about the substance in question and advise them of possible countermeasures!

Which standards and guidelines apply to eye showers?

Eye showers must comply with EN 15154-2:2006 in Europe and ANSI Z358.1-2014 in the USA. Further national standards may have to be observed. In addition, company standards may need to be considered when selecting an eye shower or safety shower.

What volume flow ist required for an eye shower?

EN 15154-2:2006 requires a minimum flow rate of 6 litres per minute for eye showers for all applications, regardless of the number of outlets. The jet height should be 100 to 300 mm before the jet collapses. B-SAFETY eye showers are equipped with high-performance shower heads that deliver a particularly soft water jet optimized for rinsing out chemicals in the eye.

ANSI Z358.1-2014 distinguishes between eye showers and eye/face showers. A minimum flow rate of 1.5 liters/minute or 0.4 GPM is required for eye/face showers and 11.4 liters/minute or 3 GPM for eye/face showers.

B-SAFETY eye showers have different volume flows depending on the number of high-performance shower heads:

• Eye showers with one shower head: 7 litres / minute (1.8 GPM)
• Eye showers with two shower heads: 14 litres / minute (3.6 GPM)

What should be considered when choosing the right eye shower?

Specific requirements for eye showers and safety showers are derived from the risk assessment for your site. The number of eye showers and emergency showers required can also be determined from this. It is possible that the company’s own standards must be taken into account.

Safety data sheets for the hazardous substances used usually provide further information to identify the chemical risk and the consequential hazards. They provide information on recommended decontamination procedures required for the chemicals in question in the event of an incident or skin contact. For example, if ammonia comes into contact with the skin, the affected area must be rinsed with warm water at 25°C to 30°C for at least 15 minutes.

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