DOC. SAFETY STANDARD DIVISION STEEL WORKS EFF. DATE 01.01.

2010
DOC. # SS/GEN-13 TITLE Safety Shower &
Eye Wash
Station
REVISION 01
SHEET 1 of 7 DUE FOR
REVISION
01.01.2013
COMP. BY Dharmendra Kumar DATE
AUTH. BY V. N. Gaikwad DATE

1.0 Purpose: This safety standard establishes the requirements and use of safety shower
and eye wash facilities for quick drenching of the eyes and body in response to exposure to
injurious materials or in case of any type of burn injury.
2.0 References: Tata Steel safety standard and Dupont Safety Manual.
3.0 Applicability: Tata Steel Ltd. India Operations.
4.0Responsibility: Line Management of Working departments, Contractors and Consultants.
5.0 General Rule:

Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive, toxic, or
flammable materials:
Suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be
provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.
Safety showers and eyewash facilities should be accessible within 50 metre travel
distance from any point and shall require not more than 1 minute to reach there.
These facilities shall be located in such a way that they do not pose a problem by
reaction with water sensitive chemicals and shall be so arranged that there is no
obstruction in going from the work spot to their location.
Because of the deluge action required, water pressure head for the emergency
shower shall be not less than 196 kPa ( 2 kgf/cms ) and the total water delivered
from the shower or the spray nozzles shall be not less than 250 to 300 litre/min. The
emergency showers may be actuated by a step-on foot valve which may be of the
self-closing type, or hand-operated self-closing or stay-open type which may be
operated by a chain or pull rod.
Proper drainage system shall be made for quick disposal of used water.






DOC. SAFETY STANDARD DIVISION STEEL WORKS EFF. DATE 01.01.2010
DOC. # SS/GEN-13 TITLE Safety Shower &
Eye Wash
Station
REVISION 01
SHEET 2 of 7 DUE FOR
REVISION
01.01.2013
COMP. BY Dharmendra Kumar DATE
AUTH. BY V. N. Gaikwad DATE

5.1 Definitions
5.1.1 Type of equipments:

Eye/Body Wash - A safety shower and eye wash unit supplied by a single source of
drinking water.
Eyewash - A device used to irrigate and flush the eyes.
Drench Hose A flexible hose connected to water supply and used to flush the face
and other body parts.
Flow Pressure- The gauge pressure measured at the pipe wall during flow.
Emergency Shower - A unit that enables users to have water cascading over their
entire body.
Combination Unit - A unit combining a shower and eyewash, or eye/face wash, and/or
drench hose into one common assembly.
Self-Contained Eyewash - eyewash that is not permanently installed and must be
refilled or replaced after use, and meets the performance requirements of this
standard.
Processes or Process Area - Locations where chemical processes occur (includes semi-
works, pilot plants, and manufacturing operations).
Safety Shower - An assembly consisting of a showerhead controlled by a stay-open
valve that cascades water over the entire body of the user or is capable of flushing an
affected area of the body.
Tempered Water with a temperature not to exceed 95F, and should not be lower
than 60F.

* All mandatory requirements in this standard have been italicized.




DOC. SAFETY STANDARD DIVISION STEEL WORKS EFF. DATE 01.01.2010
DOC. # SS/GEN-13 TITLE Safety Shower &
Eye Wash
Station
REVISION 01
SHEET 3 of 7 DUE FOR
REVISION
01.01.2013
COMP. BY Dharmendra Kumar DATE
AUTH. BY V. N. Gaikwad DATE

5.1.2 The four basic ways these safety systems are used
1. Dilutiondiluting the chemicals that are on the skin or in the eyes to a non harmful level.
2. Warming/coolingwarming or cooling the body or eyes because of a change in
temperature due to chemical exposure.
3. Irrigationflushing the chemicals out of the eyes or off the skin.
4. Extinguishmentputting out fires of clothing on the body.


5.2 Procedure
5.2.1 Safety Shower Use
Time is vital; get under the shower as quickly as possible
Promptly remove contaminated clothing while showering
Call for assistance
Remain under the shower until all affected body areas have been thoroughly
flushed; 15 minutes is the suggested minimum; this varies with the type of material
and exposure.
After showering, do not put on contaminated clothing or footwear
Obtain medical attention

DOC. SAFETY STANDARD DIVISION STEEL WORKS EFF. DATE 01.01.2010
DOC. # SS/GEN-13 TITLE Safety Shower &
Eye Wash
Station
REVISION 01
SHEET 4 of 7 DUE FOR
REVISION
01.01.2013
COMP. BY Dharmendra Kumar DATE
AUTH. BY V. N. Gaikwad DATE

5.2.2 Eyewash Use
Time is vital; flush eye(s) as quickly as possible
Call for assistance
Eye(s) must be held open for an effective flush
Flush eye(s) for as long as possible, 15 minutes is the suggested minimum; this varies
with the type of material and exposure
Obtain medical attention
5.3 Testing Frequency and Recordkeeping

A readily accessible means of test verification shall be provided. The date of the inspection
and the inspectors initials on the inspection tag (See appendix AP029) or by other means
approved by business unit SHE shall be recorded. This recordkeeping shall be readily
available at the eye/body wash station or in the laboratory that the station is located. All
deficiencies noted during the testing of eye or body wash stations must be reported
immediately to the local maintenance group.
Testing is conducted to verify whether water is being delivered and to circulate the
water through the system.
Testing shall be performed on a daily or weekly basis, dependent upon area of
hazards.
5.3.1Testing and Inspections by Users
Testing and inspections must be done by area personnel on the frequency basis established
in the Testing - Frequency schedule.
Safety showers and eyewash stations must be well lighted, highly visible and unobstructed.
5.3.1.1 Safety Showers
Flush the system for a recommended minimum of 15 seconds and verify if delivered
water is clean
Avoid wetting the floor by using a bucket, chute, etc. to catch the water
Verify proper operation
Ensure unit is not obstructed
DOC. SAFETY STANDARD DIVISION STEEL WORKS EFF. DATE 01.01.2010
DOC. # SS/GEN-13 TITLE Safety Shower &
Eye Wash
Station
REVISION 01
SHEET 5 of 7 DUE FOR
REVISION
01.01.2013
COMP. BY Dharmendra Kumar DATE
AUTH. BY V. N. Gaikwad DATE

5.3.1.2 Eyewash Stations
Flush the system for a recommended 15 seconds and verify if delivered water is
clean
Ensure nozzle protector(s) are in place and can be easily removed via the water
stream or valve operation
Verify valve remains open until manually closed
Ensure velocity of water streams are not injurious to the user
Verify that both eyes would be flushed simultaneously
Ensure unit is not obstructed and that no sharp items are in the immediate vicinity
5.4New Installations

For new safety shower installations, eyewash facilities shall also be provided. These eye
wash units shall offer hands-free operation and be capable of flushing both eyes
simultaneously.
All new installations must meet the performance inspection.
5.4.1Installation Guidelines
Location
Every safety shower must have an adjacent eyewash unit; however, not every eyewash unit
requires an adjacent safety shower.
The facilities shall be located at a convenient place having proper visibility they should be
within a distance of 15 m from the place of work.
Lighting
The area around the safety shower shall be well lighted. The installation may include an
optional green light (25watt- 110volts). Tank car and tank truck loading/unloading, sampling
stations, and battery chargers. At locations such as described above where personnel could
be exposed to toxic, corrosive, or flammable materials, safety showers and eyewash
facilities should be located within 15 metre, but not less than 10 feet, of the point of
potential exposure. Locating a shower / eyewash on loading or unloading platforms should
be considered.
DOC. SAFETY STANDARD DIVISION STEEL WORKS EFF. DATE 01.01.2010
DOC. # SS/GEN-13 TITLE Safety Shower &
Eye Wash
Station
REVISION 01
SHEET 6 of 7 DUE FOR
REVISION
01.01.2013
COMP. BY Dharmendra Kumar DATE
AUTH. BY V. N. Gaikwad DATE

Water Quality
Drinking water should be used in all safety shower and eye wash facilities.
Water Temperature
The water temperature at safety shower and eyewash facilities shall not be higher than 35C
and should not be lower than 15C. Where the water supply temperature may be affected
by sun exposure, adjacent hot piping, equipment, or extreme cold, the site should
provide appropriate controls (e.g., temperature monitoring, insulation, automatic bleed
devices) to maintain the desired temperature range. Water temperature need not be
constant throughout shower or eyewash use. However, the system should supply at least a
10 to 15 minute supply in the 15-35C-temperature range for the number of
shower/eyewash units that could conceivably be used simultaneously. Where water
systems do not provide the required 10 to 15 minute supply in the 15-35C-temperature
range, a tempered facility shall be readily available elsewhere on the site.
Caution: Some chemical reactions may be enhanced by contact with warm water.
Bacterial Contamination
Water quality in plumbed eyewash/safety shower installations must be maintained to
reduce the potential for bacterial contamination. Lower water temperatures and routine
system flushing reduce the biological load on the system.
5.5Portable Safety Showers and Eyewash Units
5.5.1General
Although plumbed safety showers and eyewashes are preferable to portable units, properly
equipped and maintained portable units are acceptable in low hazard or temporary work
locations. The unit shall be connected to a potable water supply capable of delivering not
less than 110 l/min by the method shown in the manufacturers instructions.
Any installation of portable safety showers and eyewash units must be approved by SHE
personnel.

DOC. SAFETY STANDARD DIVISION STEEL WORKS EFF. DATE 01.01.2010
DOC. # SS/GEN-13 TITLE Safety Shower &
Eye Wash
Station
REVISION 01
SHEET 7 of 7 DUE FOR
REVISION
01.01.2013
COMP. BY Dharmendra Kumar DATE
AUTH. BY V. N. Gaikwad DATE

Drench Hoses
Drench hoses may be used to supplement safety showers and eyewash units, but shall not
replace them. Sites shall have a replacement schedule to phase out drench hoses and
replace them with eyewash units where eyewash units are required.
Drench Hose: Testing and Inspections by Users
Flush the system for a recommended 15 seconds and verify delivered water is clean
Ensure nozzle protector is in place and can be easily removed via the water stream
Ensure velocity of water stream is not injurious to the user and that the stream is
between 4 and 24 in height
Verify aerator screen is clean and that the hose and fittings are in good shape
Ensure unit is not obstructed and that no sharp items are in the immediate vicinity
Training

Employees shall be trained and receive periodic refresher training in the proper use, testing
and inspection of safety showers and eyewash facilities.
Appendix
AP029: Inspection Record Tag

Eye & Body Wash Stations
INSP. RECORD
BLDG. ROOM

Inspector Date Shower Date Eye Wash

Inspector Date Shower Date Eye Wash

Location Room Bldg.

Signature of:

Inspector Date Inspector Date