By Glenn S. Demby, Esq.

All workplaces contain at least some chemicals and corrosive materials. That includes big factories, hospitals and construction sites. Even an accountant's office has cleaning fluids in the closet. If these chemicals get into the eyes, they can do terrible damage. So it's hardly surprising that OSHA requires employers to furnish appropriate eyewash facilities (as do all of the Canadian provinces and territories).

The OSHA eyewash rules are contained in the Medical Services and First Aid Standard. Failure to comply with these rules is a common source of citations. SafetyXChange did a sweep of recent OSHA inspection reports citing an employer for not having the right eyewash facilities to see if we could detect any patterns or common threads. Sure enough, we noticed certain problems that kept coming up. Here are four of them:

Mistake 1: The Eyewash Facility Wasn't in the Work Area

The Problem: The OSHA Standard says that employers must provide eyewash facilities "within the work area" in which corrosives are used. But the Standard doesn't define what the "work area" is or what it means to be "within" it. So it's not surprising that the rule trips up so many employers.

Example: An Oregon State OSHA inspector cited a medical center for using and dispensing chemicals containing hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid in its kitchen area without having an eyewash station close to the kitchen. The medical center abated the violation and avoided a monetary penalty by installing an eyewash facility in the emergency department 100 feet from the kitchen.

What To Do: OSHA acknowledges that the Standard is unclear. In enforcing the Standard, it's referred to the recommendations of ANSI - the American National Standards Institute - or of a physician. So it's probably a good idea to follow ANSI standards regarding the proximity of eyewash facilities to work areas where corrosives are used.

Mistake 2: The Eyewash Facility Wasn't Working Properly

The Problem: Just having an eyewash facility doesn't ensure compliance with the Standard. The facility must be properly installed. And it must function well. Otherwise, it's no protection. In fact, it may be worse than no protection to the extent employees think it's going to work.

Example: OSHA issued a serious citation against a New Hampshire hospital because its eyewash faucet was mounted backward. In other words, the eyewash solution flowed away rather than toward the person trying to use it.

What To Do: Test your eyewash facilities at least once a week. Post a checklist like the sample one in Tools on the wall next to the station.

Conclusion

I'll go over the next two common eyewash mistakes next week. So stay tuned.

REAL LIFE SAFETY HEROES

Clara Barton: Angel of the Battlefield and founder of the American Red Cross.

Clara Barton & the American Red Cross

Clara Barton became known as the "Angel of the Battlefield" because of her work tending the wounded of the Civil War. But Miss Barton was more than a nurse. She was a first rate administrator who by war's end had completely revamped the Union Army's battlefield medical system.

On May 21, 1881, Ms. Barton used these skills to found a new organization dedicated to helping victims of civilian tragedies. The new organization, called the American Red Cross, was put to the test within a few months. On September 4, 1881, forest fires ravaged Michigan. The Red Cross provided much needed relief.

The Red Cross has a long history of responding to hurricanes. It began on August 27, 1893 when a hurricane struck the Sea Islands of South Carolina, leaving 30,000 homeless.

In fact, Ms. Barton's last personal involvement in disaster relief was on September 8, 1900, after a hurricane and tidal wave struck Galveston, Texas.

The great Galveston hurricane killed between 8,000 and 12,000 and had been considered the worst natural disaster in American history. Until now. Hurricane Katrina might surpass Galveston for that dubious honor.

But one might take comfort in reflecting on the pride Clara Barton would surely feel in the work the men and women of the Red Cross are doing in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to carry on her legacy.

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