SOP Title: Operation and Maintenance of Emergency Eyewash and Safety Shower
- Objective:
To lay down the procedure for Operation and Maintenance of Emergency Eyewash and Safety Shower.
- Scope:
This procedure is applicable for Operation and Maintenance of Emergency Eyewash and Safety Shower for accidental spillage of chemicals on the personnel of Quality Control Department.
- Responsibility:
- Quality Control: To prepare and review the SOP. To follow the procedures for Operation and Maintenance of Emergency Eyewash and Safety Shower.
- Engineering Department: To carry out preventive maintenance as per schedule and procedure defined.
- Quality Assurance Department: To review and approve the SOP and Annexure.
- Accountability:
Head Quality Control Department, Head Quality Assurance Department
- Procedure:
| 5.1 | Safety Precautions/Instructions: | |
| 5.1.1 | Always keep the water supply valve in ON position. | |
| 5.1.2 | Ensure that adequate supply of water must be available at any given time. | |
| 5.1.3 | Provide medical attention after flushing the areas of contact for at least 15 minutes. | |
| 5.1.4 | When chemical spillage occurs, remove contaminated clothing under the shower. | |
| 5.1.5 | Eye wash nozzles must be protected from airborne contaminants by flushing or running it periodically. | |
| 5.1.6 | The 2014 ANSI standard recommends that the water temperature should be between 16-38°C. | |
| 5.2 | Procedure for Handling of Eyewash and Safety Shower | |
| 5.2.1 | Ensure that all employees who may need to use the emergency eyewash and safety shower equipment are trained on its location and use. | |
| 5.2.2 | Conduct periodic checks to ensure that emergency eyewash station and shower equipment satisfactory. | |
| 5.2.3 | Update periodic checking status label after flushing/testing activities for emergency eyewash and safety shower equipment. | |
| 5.2.4 | Eye wash nozzles must be protected from airborne contaminants by flushing or running it periodically. | |
| 5.2.5 | If incident occur immediately inform concern supervisor. | |
| 5.2.6 | If effect of a hazard may be limited to the worker’s face and eyes immediately remove goggle or contact lenses to avoid any delays caused injury to eyes. | |
| 5.2.7 | Bring the person under the eyewash shower, flush the eye with fluid by turning the handle downward | |
| 5.2.8 | Because of intense pain the person may not always be able to flush their eyes on their own. | |
| 5.2.9 | On such occasion trained helpers should be prepared to assist with holding the eyelids open and roll the eye ball continuously so water will flow on surface of eye. | |
| 5.2.10 | Other helpers may need to assist with keeping the person under the flushing fluid for at least 15 minutes or till irritation in the eye reduced. | |
| 5.2.11 | To stop flow of water, push handle upward or back to the position. | |
| 5.2.12 | Seek medical attention after flushing the areas of contact for at least 15 minutes or till irritation in the eye reduced. | |
| 5.2.13 | If spillage of chemicals is in the eyes and on the body then initially eye wash treatment should be given and followed by shower treatment on the body. | |
| 5.2.14 | Immediately bring the person under the shower and pull safety shower handle towards right hand side. | |
| 5.2.15 | If chemical spillage on the body is serious in nature, immediately remove contaminated clothing under the shower. | |
| 5.2.16 | Nature of incident assistant may use a fire blanket or uncontaminated article of clothing as a shield to provide privacy, under emergency for body coverage while seeking medical attention. | |
| 5.2.17 | Seek medical attention after flushing the areas of contact for at least 15 minutes or till irritation reduced. | |
| 5.2.18 | To stop flow of water, push handle back to the position. | |
| 5.2.19 | Inform the supervisor as soon as the emergency has subsided. | |
| 5.3 | Testing: | |
| Testing Frequency: Fortnightly | ||
| 5.3.1 | Equipments required are:
1. Bucket 2. Tray with wheels and handle to transport bucket. |
|
| 5.3.2 | Align bucket with valve under Emergency Shower. | |
| 5.3.3 | Start safety shower by pulling handle and run for 2 minutes. | |
| 5.3.4 | Record total volume of water collected. | |
| 5.3.5 | To stop flow of water, push handle back to the upward position | |
| 5.3.6 | Record testing and flushing on the inspection Annexure, affix label on the emergency eyewash and Safety shower. | |
| 5.4 | Preventive Maintenance: | |
| 5.4.1 | Perform the preventive maintenance as per Annexure. | |
| 5.4.2 | If preventive maintenance activity is outsourced, the observations are to be transcribed in the Annexure and external party certificate to be attached. | |
- Definitions / Abbreviations:
- Definitions:
- Abbreviations:
| Abbreviation | Expansion |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure |
| QC | Quality Control |
| QA | Quality Assurance |
| PM | Preventive Maintenance |
| ANSI | American National Standard of Inspection |
*Note – Ready to use SOP available in “DOWNLOAD” Section.