How to Test an Eye Wash Station

Eyewash stations represent one of the most essential pieces of safety equipment in laboratories. Most state offices of occupational health and safety base their safety eyewash regulations on standard Z358.1-2004 of the American National Standards Institute, or ANSI. Specifically, they require eyewash stations to produce a minimum flow rate of 0.4 gallons per minute for at least 15 minutes of continuous operation. ANSI recommends that laboratory personnel conduct a flow-rate test once per year.

Things You'll Need

• 1-gallon container
• Watch or stopwatch

Instructions

1. Place an empty gallon container in the eyewash catch basin and position it so that the water sprays directly into the container. Alternatively, the eyewash basin may be equipped with a removable drain pipe. If so, remove the pipe and position the container under the basin so that the water drains into the container.

2. Press the activation handle completely to engage the eyewash and note the time. The gallon container should be completely filled in 2.5 minutes or less.

3. Remove the gallon container and/or reconnect the drain pipe to the basin. Again press the activation handle and verify that the station will deliver a continuous flow for 15 consecutive minutes.

References

• Oregon OSHA: Fact Sheet: Eyewash and Safety Showers
• California Criminalistics Institute: The Story on Emergency Eyewashes and Showers
• Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry: Emergency Eyewash and Showers

Resources

• National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control: School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide