DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:21:28 EST
Reply-To: Lindaw5601**At_Symbol_Here**AOL.COM
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Lindaw5601**At_Symbol_Here**AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Safety Shower/eyewash - drains vs no drains
Comments: To: jenny.ung.tsang**At_Symbol_Here**DHS.GOV
I finally have to put my two-penn'orth in as safety officer at a State DNA
lab. We had a new facility and no drains for the showers, and the eyewash
units designed to be pulled down out of the wall spouting water as they go. I got
nowhere with the manufacturers and they weren't even interested in the way
we devised the solution to the required monthly safety check, which I thought
could have increased their profits. Anyway, it works for us, but with 23 units
it takes at least a couple of hours for two people to maneuver the 50-gallon
bin on wheels through the double doors, especially when it is half-full of
water (that stuff is heavy!). More than double that time for one person. We
also made two wide flexible tubes that fit over the eyewash spigots and were
screwed on while the water drained into the bin. Not easy to do but we got used
to it and there was very little mess to clean up. There is also a valve at
the bottom of the bin for "easy" drainage outside (more doors!).
Unfortunately we could never get Facilities to reduce the water flow to
20-30 gpm; we were operating at 60-70 gpm! So when I trained new staff in using a
shower/eyewash, I would warn them about this and the dangers of slipping and
falling with water on the floor and the fact that the water would be cold. We
had occasion to use an eyewash unit once and the water not only filled the
lab floor in 5 minutes but went out into the corridor and one person did slip
and fall. Then all the baseboards under the cabinets had to be removed as
water had got behind them and there was the danger of mold growing if we didn't
do that. There's far more to it than just mopping up! Anyway, now new shower
units can be made to use warm water.
My take on this whole issue is that a safety officer must be on the design
committee of any lab space to avoid buying the wrong equipment or putting it in
a stupid place just because there is a space on the blueprint. Engineers and
construction experts, even of labs, don't have to live with their mistakes
and never worked in a lab anyway.
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