Gordon et al,

As a voting member of the ISEA/ANSI Z358.1 Revision Committee with our 
next meeting in Baltimore in May, I can use all the input I can get.

It has always seemed to me that the "10 seconds" specification was, in 
practical terms, unrealistic.  There was a time a long time ago when I 
worked on a shop floor in an aluminum extruding plant, and if I'd got 
something in my eyes (still have the skin burn scars), I'm not sure I 
could have got through all that hot, dangerous environment to a shower 
or eyewash in 10 seconds or 100 feet.  You have to pay your way through 
college somehow and the GI Bill covered part, but by no means all of it. 
 Naturally, from a Medical Toxicology and Occupational Medicine 
perspective, we want all persons splashed with chemicals to be 
decontaminated in the most effective fashion available as rapidly as 
possible.  While in my youth I could run the hundred yard dash in just 
over 10 seconds, how would I fare now in my late 50s in a laboratory or 
industrial setting, especially if I had bilateral eye splashes, was in a 
great deal of pain, and couldn't really see?

All of us on the Revision Committee want the best medical, scientific, 
industrial hygiene, safety engineering, etc. and technical advice so as 
to produce a new Standard that is written as clearly as possible, but 
leaving room for local expertise to work out the (Devil's in) the 
details.

All input is welcome.  However, I will be out of the country from April 
11-25th.

Also, does anyone in the group have a reasonable notion of actual 
temperatures of "tepid" water?  We grappled with that a great deal at 
our last meeting in the Chicago area and could not come to a 
satisfactory description other that "lukewarm".  

Alan H. Hall, M.D.
TCMTS, Inc.
Laramie, WY
UCHSC, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics
Denver, CO
Telephone:  (307) 745-0600
FAX:  (307) 399-0605
Cell Phone:  (307) 399-1564
email:  ahalltoxic**At_Symbol_Here**msn.com
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gordon Miller 
  To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 1:19 PM
  Subject: [DCHAS-L] Definition of Acceptable Distance to a Safety 
Eyewash/Shower

  The ANSI Z358.1-1990 standard specified the distance to a safety 
  eyewash/shower be 100 feet or 10 seconds travelling time or 100 feet. 
  The 2004 version of the standard specifies 10 seconds.

  How do you define acceptable distance?
  *  By time only (10 secs.)
  *  By 10 secs./100 ft., or
  *  By 10 secs./A distance other than 100 ft.

  Please advise.

  "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

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