Safety: Keeping an Eye on Eyewash Stations

Anyone who’s spent time in commercial laundries knows that eyewash stations for emergency treatment of chemical splashes or other injuries to employees’ eyes are omnipresent in these facilities.

But how many company executives actually ensure the proper maintenance of these stations and document these efforts in case an OSHA official comes calling and asks for such information?

If you’re nodding your head “Yes,” and thinking, “I know our eyewash stations are kept in top-top shape and we can document that fact at all times,” you can stop reading this article.

Otherwise, you should pay attention because failure to keep these emergency stations properly maintained in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations could lead to serious complications for an employee with an eye injury. The problem stems from potentially harmful bacteria that can grow in improperly maintained water that’s intended for employees to use to remove chemicals or other foreign materials from their eyes.

To learn more, review “How poorly maintained eyewash stations can threaten your employees” or a special information sheet from OSHA on this topic. Otherwise, contact your maintenance manager and/or the vendor that supplies these systems to ensure that they are in proper condition and can fulfill their safety mission at any time if needed.