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>How are people dealing with the tepid water requirement of ANSI Z358.1? > >Looking on the Web, it looks like its not really being honored. > >The temperature range for 'tepid" is defined in Section B6 of >Appendix B as being from 60 to 100 degrees F. > >So some more questions: >* How do people who have tepid water units verify temperatures? By >feel? By measurement? If measurements are used, please describe the >procedure used. > >* Let's say the shower is indoors. Does someone have an idea of how >long the tepid water lasts before the temperature drops to water >main or ground temperature? > >* Let's say the shower is outdoors. Are there ways of avoiding >water temperature extremes without a tepid water unit? Pipe >insulation? More deeply buried supply lines? > >* Finally, tepid water units are mechanical devices with potential >reliability issues of their own. Are they reliable? What sort of >inspection and maintenance procedures do people have for them? > >"Inquiring minds want to know." > >Gordon Miller >Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory >P.O. Box 808 (L-379) >Livermore, California 94550 >(925) 423-8036 >Fax (925) 422-5176 >miller22**At_Symbol_Here**llnl.gov Disclaimer once again - my company is a Guardian Equipment distributor. Remember that Guardian only makes safety stations and eye washes, so they have pretty much heard it all in this area! Anthony Ceresa at Guardian was kind enough to send this detailed reply. If anyone needs clarification they can contact either of us (his contact info follows below). Rob, OSHA uses the ANSI Z358.1 as a guideline when doing walk inspections of facilities. Some states plumbing codes have adopted a certain version of the ANSI standard. If they have adapted 1998 or 2004 then the tepid water issue should be enforced by the local officials. From what I understand there will not be any grandfathering for people that had their plumbing systems designed prior to the standard change. I feel that within the next few years the tepid water issue could be enforced in all plumbing codes as mandatory. Tepid water is not only for the comfort of the person in an accident. Lower temperature water can cause hypothermia when a person exposed to it for a long period of time. The standard says that the person must remain in the water for 15 minutes to ensure proper flushing of the hazard. Also, when the body gets hit will cold water, the natural reaction is to get out of the water. If a person with a chemical on them cannot stay in the drenching water of the "Safety" equipment, then it could lead to more serious injuries, which in turn can lead to law suits. (Not good for the owner) One of the ways to temper water is with a thermostatic mixing valve. You need to make sure that the valve is for emergency equipment only. These valves have cold water bypasses built in. This bypass ensures that if the valve shall fail, it will fail cold. These valves also come with a thermostat to verify temperature of water supplying emergency equipment. If you are going to provide tepid water to your equipment, you must have enough in your supply to provide it for 15 minutes. Therefore your hot water heater must be large enough. There are a number of freeze resistant stations for outdoor applications. You can have the valves on the inside of the building and the unit on the exterior wall. There are valves that bury below the frost line, and there are stations that are heat traced. All great options depending on the application, but all still need a thermostatic mixing valve or some way to provide 15 minutes of tepid water. Thermostatic mixing valves like any other piece of equipment require regular maintenance. All of our valves are supplied with an O&M, which describes how to clean and maintain the valves. The frequency of maintenance all depends on the type of water in your area. It could be an annual inspection, or possibly more frequent. You can find out more about thermostatic mixing valve, freeze resistant units, or any other specific piece of equipment at our website www.gesafety.com. You can also pass along my email if people would like to contact me directly. Anthony Anthony's email is aceresa**At_Symbol_Here**gesafety.com. Guardian's main phone# is (312) 733-2626. As Anthongy pointed out Guardian (and all the other major brands) carry special freeze-resistant as well as heated units for outdoor use. See, for example, http://www.gesafety.com/products/freeze/index_freeze.htm Best regards, Rob Toreki -- ===================================================== Safety Emporium - Lab & Safety Supplies featuring brand names you know and trust. Visit us at http://www.SafetyEmporium.com esales**At_Symbol_Here**safetyemporium.com or toll-free: (866) 326-5412 Fax: (859) 523-0606, 4905 Waynes Blvd, Lexington, KY 40513-1469
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