The Rush to Flush
Emergency shower and eyewash equipment is vital for employees facing chemical hazards.
- By Cam Mackey
- Mar 14, 2025
Some make headlines. Others remain under the radar. Either way, employee exposure to hazardous chemicals and other substances is on the rise, making emergency eyewash and shower equipment at the work site more important than ever. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2022 saw approximately 23,900 cases of work-related injuries and illnesses that resulted from exposure to harmful substances affecting workers' skin, eyes, or other exposed tissues — up from the 21,800 cases reported in 2021.
While 2022 numbers are still being analyzed, 20,950 of the 2021 cases involved chemical exposures to the eyes or skin. According to government data, from 2021 to 2022, American workers reported more than 48,600 eye injuries, and nearly one quarter were a result of chemical exposure.
While total recordable nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work (DAFW) dipped 20.1% in 2023 compared to 2022, there’s more to the story.
Most notably, the increase in employee exposures to hazardous chemicals and other substances is particularly concerning. No safety professional wants to see any type of injury on the rise.
Moreover, employers focused on bottom-line numbers have to be concerned not only with DAFW but also with so-called DART cases — those involving DAFW, job restriction, or transfer. Some of their key worries include:
- How might these affect their insurance costs?
- How much will their risk of lawsuits and the associated costs of defense and potential settlements increase?
- How will operations be affected?
- Skilled employees never grew on trees but can be even harder to find and recruit today, especially on a tight schedule to replace an injured worker.
But there’s much more to the story than stats and money. The human side of these exposures can be devastating for individual victims and their families.
“Chemical exposures can lead to incurable and life-altering conditions, so it’s vital that employers take immediate steps to recognize and mitigate life-threatening hazards like those found in this investigation,” Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Atlanta-West Area Office Director Jeffery Stawowy said in a statement after the agency cited and fined an Atlanta chemical manufacturer in 2024 for 67 serious violations — one of which included failing to provide suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body.
Historical Perspective
We’d be remiss in overlooking a tragic 40-year anniversary that arguably should inform our thinking about the risks and consequences of chemical exposures: the horrific December 1984 leak of methyl isocyanate in Bhopal, India.
A Union Carbide pesticide plant leaked approximately 40 tons of the toxic chemical overnight. The gas killed some 3,000 people that night — including plant workers as well as residents of nearby communities — and led to an estimated 500,000+ exposures plus more than 22,000 deaths eventually attributed to that exposure.
Many things had to go wrong to make that disaster possible. And clearly safety protocols were not what we would expect at a modern plant today. But we have only to remember the February 2023 train derailment — and resulting chemical spill and fire — in East Palestine, Ohio, to be reminded that Murphy’s Law remains an ever-present threat.
That’s why the safety equipment industry has a long history of prioritizing and providing solutions for chemical exposures.
The National Institutes of Health report that “a 1920 Clear Glass 8-Panel Eye Wash Cup glass appears to be the oldest form of eyewash.” So-called “vintage” emergency eyewash equipment from the 1950s is sold on eBay, but we obviously don’t recommend it for actual workplace use, other than as a museum exhibit.
Modern emergency eyewash and shower equipment was introduced following the establishment of OSHA. The agency was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and began operation on April 28, 1971. Three of the safety equipment industry’s oldest suppliers of emergency eyewash and showers entered this space in the early 1970s.
What to Look for in This Equipment Today
Employers should only use safety equipment that is certified as compliant by a third-party, advises Ryan Pfund, chair of ISEA’s Emergency Eyewash & Shower Product Group, and senior product manager atBradley Corporation in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
“Look for the right protection for your situation,” says Pfund. “Assess what hazards a worker will be exposed to and pick the right solution for that hazard. Look at your material safety data sheets (MSDS) to see what to do when a worker is exposed.”
Pfund adds that the location where the work is being performed must be factored into your first-aid planning. He suggests asking questions such as: Is the facility indoors or outdoors? If the worker will be outdoors, will the emergency equipment have freeze exposure? Will you be able to deliver water pressure of at least 30 PSI at that site? Can you plumb the water supply to ensure it has the capacity to rinse multiple people in an emergency without running out?
If a reliable water supply cannot be delivered through plumbing, you will need to use a self-contained unit. Such equipment is “one and done,” says Pfund — meaning it can only be used for a single application and must be replaced after each use.
What OSHA Requires
OSHA promulgated its 29 CFR 1910.151 regulation in 1971. Subsection (c), which pertains to workplace emergency eyewash and showers, simply states: “Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.”
As Pfund observes, “OSHA’s regulation is ambiguous. It doesn’t get into the details about how to provide quick drenching or eye-flushing fluid. That’s where the industry standard, ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 comes in. OSHA says you need to provide suitable facilities, but the ISEA standard defines what that means on a practical level.”
In fact, OSHA inspectors often use the standard when assessing employers’ compliance with federal medical and first aid regulations (29 CFR Part 1910.151c).
In addition, as we note in ISEA’sSelection, Installation & Use Guide for Emergency Eyewash & Shower Equipment, many states require the use of ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 compliant equipment. The International Plumbing Code (IPC) and the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) recognize hazards of caustic and corrosive exposure. IPC, section 411, and UPC, section 416, require the use of ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 compliant equipment whenever eyewash or shower equipment is needed.
About ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014 (R2020)
First adopted in 1981 and most recently updated in 2020, this industry consensus standard specifies minimum equipment performance criteria for flow rates, temperature delivery and drenching patterns in emergency eyewash and shower equipment. The standard includes required maintenance directives to ensure that the equipment is maintained in proper working condition.
“The standard covers both the manufacturing and employer side — the latter because you need to ensure that your employees know how to use the equipment,” adds Pfund. “Following the standard ensures that you meet the minimum requirements involved in buying a product that’s compliant and installing it in a manner that’s compliant with the standard.”
For example, he explains, the equipment must be within 55 feet or 10 seconds from the hazard, and an unobstructed path of travel must be maintained between the equipment and the hazard so an affected worker has unimpeded access to the eyewash or shower. You also need to activate the equipment weekly to make sure it will function properly when needed.
Other Considerations
It’s important to be aware that emergency eyewash and shower equipment requires safe, tepid water.
“A worker exposed to a chemical hazard has to stand in that emergency shower for 15 minutes,” says Pfund. “They won’t be able to do it if the water’s cold. No one takes a 15-minute cold shower at home. There’s no time to wait in an emergency, so you want to maintain a consistent water temperature of 60°F to 100°F. Your supplier can advise you on the multiple ways to achieve that.”
The water must also be potable. Never use grey water in this equipment. You don’t want to compound an emergency by exposing a worker to chemicals or pathogens via the flushing fluid.
If that fluid source is a municipal water system or a well, you should periodically test it. Consulting with the local water company would also be prudent to determine their chlorination and other additive practices and schedules.
Unplumbed, self-contained equipment must also have its flushing fluid cleaned or changed on a regular basis. Consult with the manufacturer or supplier about proper fluid maintenance methods and frequency.
Pfund explains that manufacturers typically warrant their emergency eyewash and shower equipment for one year after purchase. But he adds that the equipment typically has an actual lifespan of 10 years when properly maintained.
ISEA Offers a Comprehensive Resource
As I mentioned above, ISEA created a free, onlineSelection, Installation & Use Guide for Emergency Eyewash & Shower Equipment. It’s comprehensive, addressing corrosive exposures, job hazard analysis, key definitions, equipment types and features, options/accessories for primary emergency fixtures, flushing fluid attributes, testing and maintenance, FAQs about the standard, equipment manufacturers and more. A downloadable PDF version is also available on that page for easy reference.
Our resource page also provides a list of the ISEA-member manufacturers and suppliers of emergency eyewash and shower equipment, with links to their websites. The companies include: Bradley Corporation, Cintas, Encon Safety Products, Guardian Equipment, Haws, Honeywell, Hughes Safety, Prevor, Radians, and SureWerx.
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2025 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.