In-Reply-To: <22D8ED7AB6F6F249A0DD85DA332F2FCD0DDEE9**At_Symbol_Here**SVNCMAIL.cottoninc.com>
The major manufacturers such as Guardian Equipment, Speakman, Bradley, Haws, Encon etc. all offer modesty curtains for their safety showers and safety stations. Most of these run in the neighborhood of $400-$600 depending on the source. As you can imagine, you can do it yourself for a lot less money - we sell Guardian Equipment's full line but I made the decision not to even list these on our web site because the list price is an embarrassingly high $539.34. Of course, if someone calls and orders one, we'll be happy to oblige...
Here are two examples of what these look like:
I have seen lab building layouts that put the showers into recessed alcoves, some of which had a straight shower curtain across the front and some that did not. That's another solution to think about if you are planning a new building, of course. Watch out for ADA requirements with that kind of setup - allow adequate space in the alcove and no walls/lips that would keep a wheelchair user from rolling in.
While I personally believe curtains for vanity's sake are needlessly silly, I read a phenol accident report in which the employee bypassed a shower to head for a locker room and died. Maybe he would have died anyway - I've seen reports of folks hit with phenols dying in the nearest safety shower as well, but maybe if the nearest shower had a curtain he would have used it and lived....who knows, tough call. In fact, here's two cases where the shower bypassers died
http://www.epa.gov/oppt/pubs/dcpfinal2-15.pdf
Of course, with something as nasty as a molten phenol, a really good training/signage program would drill the idea that immediate showering is critical. But curtains certainly can't hurt and are an added layer of protection/incentive and we all know that the best defense is a multilayered one. Maybe I will get around to listing those in our web site after all!
Rob Toreki
======================================================
Safety Emporium - Lab & Safety Supplies featuring brand names
Fax: (856) 553-6154, PO Box 1003, Blackwood, NJ 08012
On Oct 24, 2011, at 11:27 PM, Wallace, Michele wrote:
Does anyone on the list have experience or information about using curtains on safety showers?
Recently we had an employee exposure incident that, thankfully, did not turn out to be major, but did not go according to plan. Employees have requested to have curtains on the showers so they will feel more comfortable using the shower in an emergency =96 which I know should not be the point. Someone found a vendor selling a curtain. I want to address the employee concerns, but I do not want to create unreasonable expectations or more hazards.
Any advice appreciated, because right now I really want to scold someone who should know better.
Michele L. Wallace , NRCC-CHO
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved."
- Confucius Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC)
Previous post | Top of Page | Next post
