Contamination in the workplace

Around 38% of industries have chemical or biological substances in the workplace. As such, the risk of contamination and injury due to accidental spills is high. 

Manufacturing, pharmaceutical, utilities, refineries-all industries encounter hazards, with many subjected to the risk of chemical spills. Where exposure to dangerous substances is unavoidable the use of PPE is essential. But accidents happen. How you react in the first 10 to 15 seconds after exposure to a dangerous substance, whether on the body or on clothing, is crucial. A delay in treatment and decontamination of the casualty, even for just a few seconds, can lead to serious long-term health issues or painful injuries. 

Health and safety guidelines surrounding hazardous substances and decontamination can often be vague. Guidelines may recommend the provision of ‘hygiene facilities’ or ‘washing facilities’ to ensure potentially harmful substances are removed before a worker moves on to another task or finishes work for the day. However, an ordinary shower or sink is not enough to achieve complete decontamination, especially in the event of an accidental chemical spill or splash.

The importance of emergency safety showers 
Industrial environments dealing with hazardous substances should ensure the availability of emergency safety showers, eye/face wash equipment and PPE decontamination showers to act as the first line of defence in the event of a chemical splash or spillage. PPE decontamination showers not only provide effective health and safety measures for the individual that are compliant to current legislation, but also preserve and prolong the effective lifetime use of costly personal protective equipment.

European and International standards recommend emergency safety showers and/or eye/face wash equipment must be installed within 20 metres, or 10 seconds reach of the hazard, without obstacles such as stairs or ramps in the path. Perhaps you’re wondering why standard washing facilities do not suffice? What does a safety shower do that a regular shower or hand wash cannot? Many of the stipulations recommended by European (EN15154 ) and International (ANSI Z358.1-2014) standards can only be met by specifically designed safety showers.

Spray pattern

The spray pattern of a safety shower or eye/face wash is designed to provide full coverage of the eyes, face or body for quick removal of hazardous chemicals in the event of an accidental spillage. According to European standards, safety showers shall “provide a spray pattern with a minimum diameter of 50.8cm at 152.4cm from the floor” and “provide a flushing column of at least 208.3cm and no more than 243.8cm from the standing surface.” 

Flow rate

A consistent flow rate must be met, and for a specific amount of time, to effectively decontaminate a casualty. Standards require that safety showers deliver a minimum of 76 litres per minute of potable water for up to 15 minutes and eye/face wash units deliver 11.4 litres per minute for up to 15 minutes.
 

Operation and activation

Activation of a safety shower must be simple. The valve must go from ‘off’ to ‘on’ in 1 second or less and remain open without the use of the operator’s hands until intentionally closed.

Water temperature

Water delivered by the emergency safety equipment should be tepid, between 15-37C. At temperatures above 37C there is the added danger of scalding and increased absorption of harmful chemicals into the skin. Prolonged exposure to water below 15C increases the risk of thermal shock or hypothermia and prevents the casualty using the shower to decontaminate effectively for the full 15 minutes. Water temperature plays a significant part in the decontamination of certain chemicals, for example, ammonia decontamination requires a temperature of between 25C-30C and would require a specific temperature-controlled safety shower within reach of the hazard.

Alarms

Safety showers can be fitted with alarms (visual, audible or both) to notify others when they are activated. This measure ensures that responders are alerted to aid a casualty and contain a spill if required.

Combination units

When using an ordinary shower, it would be difficult to ensure that your eyes are safely clear of contaminant at the same time you are flushing it from your clothes and body. Combination safety shower and eye/face wash units enable simultaneous decontamination at the correct flow rate and spray pattern.
While standard hygiene facilities have their place as part of workplace health and safety, in the case of hazardous substances they cannot replace the efficiency and effectiveness of precisely designed emergency safety showers and eye/face wash equipment. 

Why tepid water?
The provision of potable tepid water to a safety shower is vital to ensure worker safety and should be controlled within a fixed temperature range, between 15C to 37C according to the European standard, EN15154. The standards recommend a tepid water for at least 15 minutes when activating an emergency shower or eye/face wash equipment to offer a thorough and effective decontamination process. 

More harm is likely to be inflicted on a victim if the safety shower operates outside of the tepid water range. A higher temperature water may scald the injured person, adding temperature burns to their injury. Blood vessels close to the surface of the body dilate to allow more blood flow in the area. This process removes heat from the skin and prevents the core temperature from rising too high. Blood is directed away from vital internal organs causing cardiovascular strain. Hotter water may also cause skin to absorb more of the hazardous chemicals. 

The opposite actions occur when the body experiences extreme cold. Lower temperatures can lead to hypothermia or thermal shock. Water conducts heat away from the body much quicker than air does. Blood vessels near the surface contract to limit the blood flow and prevent the loss of body heat. Internal blood vessels dilate to compensate, causing the heart to work harder to keep up. 

Whether the water is scalding or freezing, the natural human reaction is to withdraw from the temperature extreme to protect the body. The European standard recommends at least 15 minutes of shower time to completely rinse away most hazardous chemicals. The only way to ensure this length of time is to control the water temperature in the tepid range.

Challenging environments
How does a health and safety specifier select a shower that will maintain a tepid water supply when the site is remote, and perhaps has no mains water supply? What if a water supply does exist but operates at low flow or pressure? Perhaps the ambient conditions are in the extremes and are at risk of overheating or freezing? There are several types of emergency safety showers available for differing environments, each aimed at maintaining a tepid temperature.

Gravity fed tank showers incorporate an integrated overhead tank capable of storing enough water to deliver a 15-minute decontamination. With the addition of immersion heaters or cooling systems, dependent upon the ambient temperature, they ensure the water delivered is tepid. Temperature controlled emergency safety showers feature an integral heated water tank designed to remain on standby to provide tepid water whatever the conditions.

Trace tape heating and insulation provide frost protection to outdoor tubular models and prevent the water inside the shower freezing. In extreme hot climates, static water within the pipework can rise as high as 50C due to solar radiation. Self-draining showers drain water from the standpipes after each activation to avoid exposing the casualty to such elevated temperatures.

COVID-19: Can safety showers help?
The current global pandemic has impacted everyone. The way we navigate our surroundings in the future will change. Will we be required to decontaminate visitors entering stadiums for outdoor sporting and music events for example? Safety shower manufacturers are designing innovative solutions to fit with requests from these types of establishments. Walk-through decontamination misting showers, when used with the correct disinfectant, will kill COVID-19 when used appropriately. The world is changing, and the uses for safety showers are expanding.

Emergency safety showers are essential for the decontamination of the workforce in the event of an accidental spill. When selecting the correct safety shower for your location there are many considerations, such as ambient temperature, do you have sufficient drainage, will the shower be used in an explosive area and electrical requirements such as ATEX and IECEx. Your chosen supplier will be able to guide you through the purchasing process to ensure you receive the right equipment for your specific requirements.