Qualities Of Effective Self Contained Eyewash Stations

By Jessica Green


Emergencies are common occurrences at the workstation. This may include the entry of harmful substances into the eyes. A functioning self contained eyewash station is important in ensuring that damage to the eyes is minimized during accidents. This is an emergency unit installed to prevent harm and reduce the effect of harmful substances to the eyes.

At any time, the station should be accessible especially during accidents. All employees or anyone around the vicinity must be able to access it with little trouble. They also need to be concentrated in places where there is a high possibility of calamities during accidents. This will ensure as much people as possible can use it. Centrality of the location is vital in ensuring easy accessibility during catastrophes.

The location of the station must also be free of anything that might obstruct its immediate use such as fences. A clearly visible sign post should also be made at the locale so that anyone can easily identify it during an emergency. The signage needs to be in bold letters and be made in a language that is simple and easy to understand.

The installation and maintenance of the stations must also fall within the limits of a budget. Maintenance needs to be done on a weekly basis to ensure smooth operation and drain any clogging that could accrue in the system. A cost effective system is not only important in ensuring effectiveness but also improves access to quality emergency services when an accident occurs.

Operation of the system should also be easy. The valve that activates the system should be switched on with a single motion and take the shortest time possible to start working. Simplifying the operation of this system is vital in preventing calamities and harmful effects to the eyes during accidents. The valve ought to be in a place that can be easily located.

A station should also be portable. This implies that it must be made of light material and therefore be easy to move to inaccessible areas such as hilly places. A heavy system is not only difficult to move and operate but heavy maintenance costs might also come into play when using them, portability ensures easy transportation to places in the accident scene where the casualties cannot move by themselves.

Cleaning agents should also be mixed in a clean and bacteria free environment. This is because eyes are very sensitive organs of the body and washing them with infected cleaning agents might cause further harm including blindness. The mixture must also be made early in anticipation of any accidents that could occur. Furthermore an ambulance should be stationed closely to facilitate easy transportation of victims adversely affected by the accident.

Cleaning agents should also flow consistently so that it can remove any harmful particles from the eyes. There should be a consistent flow of the cleaning agent for fifteen to twenty minutes to wash off all chemicals from the eyes and avert further damage.




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