An excellent article and I will go one further. In 48 years of laboratory and pilot plant inspections I have found a significant number of safety showers and eyewashes that would not work if needed. Typical problems I found included:

• The shower or eyewash is shut off, often with a valve not obvious at the point of use. Often from maintenance but occasionally from initial installation.
• The shower or eyewash was not connected to the system. Often because the system was modified and the device inadvertently disconnect. Sometimes because the device was never connected.
• The shower or eyewash was blocked and could not be accessed. An all too common problem.
• The shower or eyewash was fed from the wrong system. In one case it was hot water (very hot water well above tempered water maximum). In another it was connected to the air system by mistake.
• The shower or eyewash did not feed even close to the required amount due to undersized lines, low water pressure, restrictions, or similar issues.

So the article’s cautions are very relevant.

Richard Palluzi

BE(ChE), ME(ChE), PE, CSP,FAIChE

Pilot plant and laboratory consulting, safety, design, reviews, and training

www.linkedin.com/in/richardppalluzillc/

www.pilotplants.us

Richard P Palluzi LLC

72 Summit Drive

Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

rpalluzi**At_Symbol_Here**verizon.net

908-285-3782

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