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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: Lab safety showers Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:30:13 -0400 Author: "Norwood, Brad" |
Next by Date: Subject: Re: shower berm Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2010 09:43:02 -0400 Author: Don Abramowitz |
So the drain is UNDER the shower, then? That's a logical placement, of course, and something I would plan in new construction. In many existing buildings, the drains are nowhere near the showers. Even so, a berm is still a terrible idea for the full-time trip hazard it would present. The risks there alone far outweigh the perceived environmental benefit. And a floor drain should drain the building, not just the emergency shower. If a pipe bursts, the fire sprinkler is activated, or there is a fire on that floor, that drain water has to go somewhere. With this berm around the floor drains, the only place it can go is down, down, down, which will not only cost tens if not hundreds in thousands of dollars of damage, but carry any contaminants throughout the building. On top of that, the chances of any spill in a laboratory being of sufficient size to put significant quantities of a hazardous substance into the sewer system is approximately zero. Unless you are talking a catastrophic laboratory fire in which case, again, you WANT the water to go down the drains instead of all over the building. And if the idea is that the drain is for the shower drainage only, there are better ways to achieve that without a berm. So, regardless of the placement, a berm is still a bad idea and bad policy. Rob Toreki ======================== ========================= ===== Safety Emporium - Lab & Safety Supplies featuring brand names you know and trust. Visit us at http://www.SafetyEmporium.com esales**At_Symbol_Here**safetyemporium.com or toll-free: (866) 326-5412 Fax: (856) 553-6154, PO Box 1003, Blackwood, NJ 08012 > Sorry everybody, but you are mixing up two ideas. They asked for the > 1=94 berm to prevent a chemical spill elsewhere in the lab from > gaining access to the sewer system. The idea of capturing shower > water for disposal as hazardous waste is a different idea. > > > Mark Williams On Oct 28, 2010, at 10:18 PM, Betsy Shelton wrote: > My understanding is that the curb is meant to keep any spill that > may occur in the laboratory from reaching the drain; it is not meant > to contain the drench water. There has been no mention of > containing or collecting the drench water (thank goodness). > > -- > Best regards, > > Betsy Shelton > 512.636.1905 > retrosynthesis**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com > > > In a message dated 10/28/2010 2:34:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time, retrosynthesis**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM > writes: > > I am currently involved in construction of two new laboratories and > was instructed by the city commercial building review department to > include a 1" high curb around the shower area to keep hazmat from > entering the floor drain in the event of a spill. Also, the curb > has to be sloped on both sides to allow accessibility. > >
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