LABORATORIES can be dangerous places. Because research and teaching labs often work with such a wide variety of potentially volatile and hazardous substances, they are bound by some very strict operational protocols and safety procedures.
AS long as people have been heading to the workplace, there have been workplace accidents. According to OSHA, some 4 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses occur each year in workplaces across the United States, which is why it is essential for facilities with potential hazards to provide the right emergency fixtures as protection against serious injury or fatalities.
AN alarm sounds. An emergency fixture is activated, and a rusty fluid begins gurgling through the pipes. An injured worker uses the emergency unit, not suspecting the water used to flush his body and eyes has been collecting sediment for months or even years. Only later is it learned that the contaminated fluid severely worsened the worker's condition and caused long-term health damage.
IN any large-scale industrial environment, the coordination between providing immediate assistance to injury victims and concurrent dispatch of follow-on assistance is extremely critical.
IT is entirely possible employees will never need to use emergency drench showers and eyewashes in a facility. That is, if primary protection systems are used effectively and the procedures are well designed.
WE see it in all areas of our lives: The more complex something becomes, the more likely we are to need someone who specializes in it. So it is with emergency equipment design, specification, installation, and maintenance.
WHEN we were kids, a game of "tag" always had a "home base" or a safe zone, where the unfortunate player who was "it" couldn't get to us.
PEOPLE's reaction to being hit with cold water has been used in comedy routines for as long as anyone can remember. Providing it's not you being doused, it can be really funny. But cold water, when used in emergency showers and eyewashes, is no joke.
IN the open, sandy desert of a foreign country or in the confines of a maintenance work area, Master Sergeant Chad Lingerfelt strives to operate a safe work environment. As a ground safety manager for the U.S. Air Force, Lingerfelt supervises personnel who dismantle, clean, and reassemble aircraft all over the world.
SOME safety equipment blends into the background until it is urgently needed. The only people who probably pay close attention to emergency eyewash and shower equipment are those who inspect it. Even these inspectors may not have done any recent re-evaluations to determine whether the equipment is adequate for your current needs.