The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) produces the American National Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment, ANSI Z358.1, to establish uniform minimum performance and use requirements. The Standard is a comprehensive outline that serves as a guidebook for companies and safety professionals to help create and promote safe working environments. But is it enough for your employees? There are additional steps and best practices that can and should be implemented to exceed standard expectations and ensure that each site implements and manages appropriate emergency response systems with the ultimate goal of minimizing injuries and preventing bad situations from becoming even worse.
When a victim is in need of an eyewash or shower, a facility must already be prepared, and ideally with a complete safety response environment. This is an area that exceeds expectations by factoring for ease of use and victim comfort before, during, and after the use of a facility's safety equipment.
A recent safety industry survey asked professionals who make product recommendation and/or buying decisions what they considered the most important features and benefits when selecting an eyewash and/or eyewash/shower combination unit. Not surprisingly, the top two answers were ANSI compliance and victim comfort.
While ANSI compliance is an absolute necessity, victim comfort should be just as important. It's a consideration that should be carefully factored into creating a complete safety response environment for your employees. Treating the purchasing process as if you could be the victim is an effective method of finding the most appropriate safety equipment that will perform properly and beyond the standard. From color coding equipment and establishing appropriate water temperatures to assessing the impact of workplace activity and coordinating routine testing and ongoing employee training, consider these best practices for total victim comfort.
