From: "Wilhelm, Monique" <mwilhelm**At_Symbol_Here**UMFLINT.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] ? Re Eyewash Water
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 2017 17:57:04 +0000
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 1109037139E1524980CF9CBEB2476618010AE86BBB**At_Symbol_Here**UMF-EX10EMB1.umflint.edu
In-Reply-To


Not to be an alarmist, but WHY is the iron in the water is just as important.  What is the pH?  Sounds like you are having the same problem that I am having.  However, my problem initially contained lead as well and I can't get people beyond the "we tested it and there isn't any lead present".  I am not currently worried about lead but don't want high pressure particles shooting at my eyes if I already have something else in them.  This probably isn't something that is going to fix itself overnight if you have been flushing the eyewashes all along.  If it has been sitting for a while, maybe. 

 

Do you have di/RO water accessible in the lab from a tap?

 

Monique Wilhelm

Laboratory Manager

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

University of Michigan - Flint

 

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Kaufmann, Heather
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2017 1:46 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] ? Re Eyewash Water

 

Thank you Rob for all the information.  As I have said, I've been doing a bit of research on my own so I did recognize what you were referring to.

 

The eyewash/safety shower unit is actually a guardian product and I did download and read the Guardian packet on the ANSI standard last week in my search for information.  As I said, I was not a part of the faucet mount decision making process.  I would be ignored if I brought up this point unless the university architexture group said something but they WERE part of the lab refit so I'm not sure I would get anywhere. 

 

The eyewashes do have filters in them that we do inspect regularly.  We have had to clean them twice in the last month of a grayish sediment that has a slight orange coating to it. 

 

It is a potable water supply but I would not drink the water that comes from it unless I was dying of thirst in a dessert.  As I mentioned to Monona, a sediment settles out of it, even when the color is fairly light.  Again, the actual color clears after about 5 seconds if we flush daily.  It was a little longer this morning for some reason. 

 

I have mentioned the portable station to my chair but she wants to wait and see how what report we get after our Easter break.

 

As you may infer, there is a bit of a power struggle going on here and I am the underdog hence my EHS manager not willing to make purchase....

 

Thanks again

 

On Mon, Apr 10, 2017 at 1:25 PM, ILPI Support <info**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com> wrote:

So many points to address.  I will preface this discussion with the disclaimer that my company, Safety Emporium, is an authorized global distributor for Guardian Equipment, a major manufacturer of such equipment

 

1. The faucet-mount eyewashes are generally not compliant with ANSI Z58.1 (and, by extension, OSHA as well as best practices that you would want from a legal perspective) as they require two motions to activate. They are meant only as supplemental units.  See, for example, the disclaimers associated with the G1100 on our web site as well as the downloadable G1100 spec sheet you can find there: http://www.safetyemporium.com/g1100  As an aside, *some* faucet-mounted units do meet the motion activation requirement.  The G1200 does: http://www.safetyemporium.com/g1200 but I would not rely on it as a primary unit as you would have to keep the hot and cold lines open to each other and that sets up a host of other issues.

 

2.  Your eyewashes presumably have filters in them. If you're seeing this kind of coloration and potentially debris, then you should be checking and cleaning/changing the filters on at least a weekly basis.  They're easily replaced/checked - just screw the heads off. They are little foam rings that look like this: http://www.safetyemporium.com/470-004r

 

3. I presume this is a potable water supply.  If your physical plant has determined that the water meets acceptable drinking water standards, I don't see an issue using slightly discolored water.  The contamination is probably a few ppm of dissolved iron or such, and that poses no threats to an eye.  So long as there no particles coming out of the water, of course.  How quickly does your discoloration take to clear if you activate it a few hours after your daily flushing?   I don't know if the standard includes requirements regarding the quality of the potable water supply; I will ask a factory rep and follow up unless someone posts a comment here first.

 

4. You could consider placing a portable eyewash unit that meets the ANSI standard in that room.  Something like the Guardian model G1540 or G1562 or their equivalents from other manufacturers: http://www.safetyemporium.com/g1540 or http://www.safetyemporium.com/g1562  Another possible option is if you can run in a water supply from another uncontaminated line, you could go with an eyewash/drench hose combination unit like the G5026: http://www.safetyemporium.com/g5026 but I guess if you could do that, you'd run it to your existing station!

 

5. Guardian has a downloadable ANSI summary available that is pretty good: http://www.gesafety.com/downloads/ANSIGuide.pdf  I know now being able to purchase a copy is a royal PITA. Recent court rulings have confirmed that even though ANSI standards etc. may be incorporated into federal code by reference, the author still retains the copyright and may charge you for copies. Which make sense, since it does cost money to develop and publish these.

 

6. What an absurd example of false economy by your management.  A358.1-2014 is a $60 PDF download: http://webstore.ansi.org/RecordDetail.aspx?sku=ANSI%2fISEA+Z358.1-2014  This is a document that will serve your entire campus and ensure you are in full compliance.  Did you take this matter to your chair with that observation in mind?

 

Please feel free to contact me on or off list if you have further questions or concerns.

 

Best wishes,

 

Rob Toreki

 

 ======================================================

Safety Emporium - Lab & Safety Supplies featuring brand names

you know and trust.  Visit us at http://www.SafetyEmporium.com

Fax: (856) 553-6154, PO Box 1003, Blackwood, NJ 08012

 

 

 

On Apr 10, 2017, at 12:39 PM, Kaufmann, Heather <kaufmann.h**At_Symbol_Here**GMERCYU.EDU> wrote:

 

Hi everyone,

 

I am having eyewash issues as well and am seeking advice.

 

We have an eyewash that started giving discolored water upon activation about 1 month ago.  Our Plant services has slowly been looking at the problem but I think I am rapidly hitting a wall and the problem still exists.  I feel like the matter is complicated as I am Lab Manager (where I get plenty of support) and Environmental Safety manager (where I get no support) and this issues affects both facets of my job. 

 

What we observe is the the water runs orange for the first 2-5 seconds and then clears up.  If we flush it at 8am, the color appears (very lightly but discernible) by 3pm.  Therefore, we have been flushing the eyewash daily as labs are scheduled in that room on a daily basis.  I have basically been told at this point that they think the discoloration will clear itself up over time.   Although the discoloration was worse and longer today after Plant completing an overnight flush Friday to Saturday.  Furthermore, this is an eyewash/safety shower combo so there is often a very slight orange tint to that water as well.  

 

My question is whether we should insist on taking the eyewash out of use until they really resolve the problem because even with daily flushing the discoloration occurs somewhat rapidly.   There is another eyewash in the lab but it is one of those faucet mounts that you have to adjust the water and remove the caps before you can use it (I had no input on the choice of this eyewash when the room was renovated.)  I want to make sure I am advising my Chair properly on the matter.  

 

Also, I asked my manager for the EHS side of my job permission to purchase a copy of ANSI Z358.1 and my request was not granted.  I would really like to see the text for myself so I am thinking I need to purchase it on my own at this point.  Will the actual text of the standard enlighten me more than just the free summaries that I have poured over?

 

Help!  I just want to keep the lab safe for the students.

 

Thanks,

Heather

 

On Thu, Mar 30, 2017 at 7:17 PM, Wilhelm, Monique <mwilhelm**At_Symbol_Here**umflint.edu> wrote:

Hello Everyone,

I know I will be seeing a lot of you on Sunday.  In the meantime, I have a question that I hope someone is available to answer:

If the water system in a chemistry lab is reliant on you having to flush the water every day to have the water be clean in said eye wash, can you still say that the eye wash is meeting standards?  What if you expect that water to be that way (acidic with particulates) for at least several months while you are having work done on the supply pipes?  If the eye wash is not meeting standards, can you legally hold a chemistry class in there that works with corrosives?  Or, do you have to close down the lab until portable eye wash solution can be provided?

I really appreciate any advice you can give me about this.

Thank you,
Monique

---
This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety.
For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org



 

--

 

*  Please note new phone extension *


Heather Layton Kaufmann, Ph.D.

Environmental Safety and Laboratories Manager

School of Arts & Sciences

Gwynedd Mercy University

 

1325 Sumneytown Pike
P.O. Box 901
Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437

Maguire Hall 236

215-646-7300 x21489

Fax: 215-542-4604

 

--- This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety. For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org

 

--- This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety. For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org



 

--

 

*  Please note new phone extension *


Heather Layton Kaufmann, Ph.D.

Environmental Safety and Laboratories Manager

School of Arts & Sciences

Gwynedd Mercy University

 

1325 Sumneytown Pike
P.O. Box 901
Gwynedd Valley, PA 19437

Maguire Hall 236

215-646-7300 x21489

Fax: 215-542-4604

 

--- This e-mail is from DCHAS-L, the e-mail list of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety. For more information about the list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post



The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.