Safety showers and eyewash in Australian industries

What are safety showers and eyewash? 

Safety showers and eyewash are important units of safety equipment used in several Australian industries to protect personnel who deal with dangerous chemicals in the workplace. When handled innapropraly, exposure to dangerous chemicals in the workplace can cause serious injury or even death. Safety showers and eyewash provide immediate decontamination in the event of accidental dangerous substance exposure.

Safety showers provide a deluge of water to flush contaminants from the body and eye/face wash provide a gentle low velocity stream to flush the eyes and face. These units can often be a combination of a safety shower with an eyewash or eye/face wash attached or a standalone eyewash unit. Additional accessories for these units can include drain bowls to direct flushing fluid to waste or a foot treadle for a hands free activation.  

What are the dangers of chemical exposure?

Chemical exposure can pose various dangers to human health depending on the type of chemical, its concentration, duration of exposure, and route of exposure (e.g., inhalation, ingestion, skin contact). Some of the common dangers of chemical exposure include: chemical burns, skin disorders, eye injuries and acute toxicity.

Safety showers work to provide immediate and effective decontamination to prevent the exposure and reduce the severity of any injuries sustained from chemical exposure in the workplace. 

What is the Australian Standard for safety showers and eyewash?

Australian Standards are guidelines designed to help ensure products, services, and systems are safe, consistent, and reliable. Australian Standard AS4775:2007 – Emergency eyewash equipment is the standard that outlines the requirements of using shower and eyewash equipment in the Australian workplace.

This Standard delineates essential criteria and performance benchmarks, including proper installation, minimum water flow rates, and supply pressure, necessary for treating individuals exposed to materials capable of causing severe injuries to the eyes or body.

Which industries use safety showers and eyewash? 

Safety showers and eyewash stations are used across various industries in Australia where there is a risk of chemical exposure or other hazardous materials. Some of the key industries include:

• Chemical Manufacturing and Processing: Facilities involved in the manufacturing, handling, or processing of chemicals.

• Laboratories: Research laboratories, whether in academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, or other research facilities, often handle hazardous substances.

• Mining: Mining operations involve the use of various chemicals and materials that pose risks to workers' safety. 

• Manufacturing: Industries involved in manufacturing processes, such as metal fabrication, automotive manufacturing, and electronics production, may use chemicals and materials.

• Oil and Gas: Oil refineries, gas processing plants, and other facilities in the oil and gas industry handle hazardous substances. 

• Healthcare: Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities often use safety showers and eyewash stations in areas where hazardous chemicals or substances are handled.

• Agriculture: Agricultural operations, including farming, pesticide application and fertilising.

 Titan Safety's range of safety showers & eyewash

We stock a wide range of Spill Crew safety showers and eyewash stations to suit a range of industries and applications. Our units are made from top of the range premium 316 stainless steel. This high quality of steel gives peace of mind that our units will stand the test of time and stand up the harsh Australian environment. 

Spill Crew units are not only made to meet the requirements of Australian Standards but are independently tested for compliance at a NATA accredited lab. The OptiStream spray heads have easy to clean filters, flow regulators and self-opening covers to protect flushing fluid from airborne contaminants. 

Our range includes combination showers and eye/face wash, combination showers and eyewash, standalone eyewash stations, eye/face wash stations, deluge showers and portable gravity fed eyewash stations. 

To view our full range please click here.