When handling hazardous materials in factories, laboratories, or other workplaces, there’s a lot of factors to consider in assuring personnel safety, with much of industry still assuming that a trace heated shower will deliver tepid water this is simply not the case. Trace heating only protects the shower from freezing.
ANSI 2014 states that the water temperature delivered by safety equipment should be ‘tepid.’ Tepid is defined to be between 60°F (16°C) and 100°F (38°C). Many COSHH sheets state the requirement for a casualty to remain under a shower for at least 15 minutes to be washed off satisfactorily. The necessity to therefore provide 15 minutes or more of tepid water is absolutely vital as getting doused in cold water can not only cause thermal shock it will actually close the pores thus trapping the contaminants in the skin.
A tank shower is possibly the most effective solution to ensure tepid water is guaranteed as by the very nature of being able to store water means operationally it is not affected by interrupted or low water pressure. Regardless of ambient or incoming water temperatures the shower will deliver a guaranteed 15 minutes of tepid water at 76 litres per minute as recommended by ANSI because the stored water can be effectively managed.
More sophisticated methods are now available to enable the tank to be heated but to include a visual water temperature display, water temperature alarm and power failure alarm.
Aqua Safety Showers International Ltd is offering no obligation help and advice for companies both large and small on how to operate within the latest ANSI Z358.1-2014 recommendations.
Please visit: www.aqua-safety.com for contact details and more information.