Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:57:51 -0400
Reply-To: ILPI <info**At_Symbol_Here**ILPI.COM>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: ILPI <info**At_Symbol_Here**ILPI.COM>
Subject: Re: Safety Showers
Comments: cc: Doctormfox**At_Symbol_Here**AOL.COM
In-Reply-To: <d1a.16ba46fd.345a08b7**At_Symbol_Here**aol.com>

>Does anyone know the OSHA section that regulates safety showers for bulk
>acids and bases?  Or the maximum allowable distances to safety 
>showers for bulk
>corrosives?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Michael Fox, Ph.D., Founder
>Chemical Accident Reconstruction Services, Inc.
>9121 E. Tanque Verde Road #105
>Tucson, Arizona 85749
>
>Phone: 800-MIKE-FOX (645-3369)
>Fax: 520-749-0861
>email: mikefox**At_Symbol_Here**mikefox.com

Guardian Equipment has an excellent multi-page discussion on this 
general topic that you can view as HTML or download as PDF at 
http://www.gesafety.com/ANSI/index.htm

Disclosure/Disclaimer: My company is an authorized Guardian Equipment 
distributor.

Excerpts from http://www.gesafety.com/ANSI/ansi_main2.htm

OSHA has adopted several regulations that refer to the use of 
emergency eye wash 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 
promulgated a voluntary standard covering emergency eye wash and 
shower equipment. This standard-ANSI Z358.1-is intended to serve as a 
guideline for the proper design, performance, installation, use and 
maintenance of emergency equipment....

In general, the ANSI standard provides that emergency equipment be 
installed within 10 seconds walking time from the location of a 
hazard. The equipment must be installed on the same level as the 
hazard (i.e. accessing the equipment should not require going up or 
down stairs or ramps). The path of travel from the hazard to the 
equipment should be free of obstructions and as straight as possible.

However, there are certain circumstances where these guidelines may 
not be adequate. For example, where workers are handling particularly 
strong acids, caustics or other materials where the consequences of a 
spill would be very serious, emergency equipment should be installed 
immediately adjacent to the hazard.

Based on personal experience, I can say unequivocally that 
"immediately adjacent" is an important point.  You can read my old 
Usenet post about an accident involving sulfuric acid here:

http://groups.google.com/group/sci.chem/browse_thread/thread/1c1dc57528c215f6/d61a8f49a20ba99e?hl=en&lnk=st&q=toreki+explosion+sulfuric#d61a8f49a20ba99e

Concentrated sulfuric acid is extremely slippery.  It's not called 
"oil of virtriol" without a a reason.

Both the Guardian document and the Usenet post I reference above also 
make clear the importance of an alarm on such equipment.  A safety 
station alarm could save the life of a severely injured worker in the 
event of an accident involving one or more people.

Regards,

Dr. Robert Toreki
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