The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was
enacted to assure that workers are provided with “safe
and healthful working conditions.” Under this law, the
Occupational Safety and Heath Administration (OSHA)
was created and authorized to adopt safety standards and
regulations to fulfill the mandate of improving worker
safety.
OSHA has adopted several regulations that refer to the
use of emergency eyewash and shower equipment. The
primary regulation is contained in 29 CFR 1910.151, which
requires that…
“…where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed
to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for
quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be
provided within the work area for immediate emergency
use.
The OSHA regulation regarding emergency equipment is
quite vague, in that it does not define what constitutes
“suitable facilities” for drenching the eyes or body. In
order to provide additional guidance to employers,
the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has
established a standard covering emergency eyewash
and shower equipment. This standard—ANSI Z358.1—
is intended to serve as a guideline for the proper
design, certification, performance, installation, use
and maintenance of emergency equipment. As the
most comprehensive guide to emergency showers and
eyewashes, it has been adopted by many governmental
health and safety organizations within and outside the
U.S., as well as the International Plumbing Code. The
standard is part of the building code in locations which
have adopted the International Plumbing Code.
(IPC-Sec. 411)
ANSI Z358.1 was originally adopted in 1981. It was
revised in 1990, 1998, 2004, 2009, and again in 2014.
Post time: May-03-2019
