The act of buying and installing a safety shower is just one small step in the overall safety process. The next step is to have a clear and practical operating procedure so your staff are aware of how the safety shower and eyewash station should be used and maintained.
These procedures must be made with the requirements of the Australian Standards and the instructions provided by the manufacturers of the safety equipment itself.
So if you need further guidance, read on and find out some of the important things that need to be in your operating procedures.
What To Put in Your Operating Procedures
Before you even start researching your operating procedures, make sure that they are easy to read, so workers can understand them quickly.
Mandatory Inspections and Testing
One of the requirements in the Australian Standard (AS4775-2007) is that emergency eyewash and shower equipment has to be regularly maintained and tested, to make sure that it is always ready to be used and safe to use in the event of an emergency.
So, you should add the following into your operating procedures:
- Weekly inspection checklist that contains the names and signatures of supervisors and workers.
- The workflow of a weekly inspection, which includes things like.
- Check area for obstructions.
- Ensure the area is visible and the lighting is working.
- Activate the unit.
- Allow the unit to flow for a set amount of time.
- Inspect pipes and showerheads.
- Actions that must be taken if anything is damaged such as reporting.
- The fact that the shower should be tested and tagged for compliance once a year.
Housekeeping and General Care
General care and housekeeping matter as much as maintenance, here are the minimum inclusions you should have in the manual.
- Keeping work areas neat and free of debris and obstructions.
- Ensuring the showers and eyewash stations are not being misused.
- Don’t bring hazardous materials into work areas without prior authorisation.
- Reporting damage to managers and supervisors quickly.
Emergency Use Procedures
Workers need to understand how they should use safety showers. It’s not a good idea to simply show them once during orientation and training and consider the job done. The actual process should be documented so that people can refer to it during things like immersion training, inductions and more.
Some of the things your operating procedures should cover include instructions on the following:
- How to access the shower and eyewash station.
- How to activate the unit.
- Reminders to remove clothes and personal effects.
- How the head and body should be positioned.
- What flushing and treatment times are.
- How to correctly assist a co-worker.
- Notifying coworkers and emergency services if needed.
- Correct clean up and waste disposal.
Need Guidance?
It can be hard to get safety procedures right. If you’re worried about getting it wrong, Spill Station is here to help. A distributor of safety equipment, Spill Station are industry leaders in conducting training and performing audits of workplaces, to help you remain compliant with ease.