Emergency shower and eye wash stations are available in different iterations depending on your needs and jobsite. Grainger breaks down the requirements outlined in ANSI/ISEA Z358.1, which narrows down how to select, install and maintain eye wash/emergency shower stations.
Emergency Shower

  • Plumbed Shower: An emergency shower permanently connected to a continual source of potable water.
  • Self-Contained Shower: A stand-alone shower that contains its own flushing fluid.

Eye Wash Stations

  • Plumbed eye wash station: An eye wash unit permanently connected to a continual source of potable water.
  • Gravity-fed (self-contained) eye wash station:  A stand-alone eye wash device that contains its own flushing fluid that must be refilled or replaced after use.

Personal Eye Wash and Eye Saline
A personal eye wash is a supplementary eye wash that supports plumbed units, gravity-fed units or both by delivering immediate flushing fluid.
NOTE: Personal eye wash units do not meet the requirements of plumbed or self-contained eye wash equipment. Personal eye wash units can support plumbed or gravity-fed eye wash units, but cannot be a substitute.

Drench Hoses
A drench hose is a supplemental device consisting of a flexible hose connected to a flushing fluid that’s used to irrigate and flush eyes, face and body areas.

Example 2: Improper Eyewash Use

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) provides a list of real-life accounts in which chemical exposures caused serious injuries that could have been prevented with proper equipment, training, maintenance and use. Here is one example.

While using a fluorescent stain in the cytogenetics lab, I felt something splash up into my eye. I was not wearing safety goggles or glasses. I went to the nearest sink that had an eyewash (mounted into the counter with a handle and hose). I flushed-out my eye for a minute to remove whatever had splashed into it.

My eyes remained irritated; so, I flushed them out again at the eyewash station. Soon afterwards, my eyes began to swell shut. I walked over to the emergency room to be seen by the doctors. They were unable to pinpoint the cause, but thought I was having an allergic reaction to some irritant exposure to my eyes. I was given antihistamines and was OK after a few hours.

A few days later, I noticed someone using the same eyewash to clean glassware and stainless steel trays. The eyewash was draped over into the sink and sitting in a cleaning solution. So, the water from the eyewash that I was using to flush out my eyes was most likely contaminated with chemicals. This practice was discontinued immediately and the eyewash was cleaned and put onto a routine maintenance schedule that included regular flushes.
— Source: AIHA.org

Here is a sample of eye and face protection products.

Hand-Operated Stainless Steel Eye-Face Wash and Bowl
Bradley ‘s Stainless Steel Eye-Face Wash is made with galvanized steel, and its waste pipes are protected with safety yellow coating.  The station includes a foot pedal or push handle for eyewash operation and exceeds the minimum water flow of 3 GPM at 30 PSI.  Bradley’s design makes this station fully accessible to people with physical disabilities. The unit includes universal identification sign as well as a inspection tag. It is compliant with ANSI Standard Z358.1.
Bradley Fixtures Corp.
www.bradleycorp.com

Emergency Shower Decontamination Booth
After exposure to a hazardous substance, any delay can result in serious injury. HEMCO emergency showers are fully assembled and ready for installation to water supply and waste systems. The shower is molded from a seamless piece of chemical-resistant fiberglass and is equipped with a pull-rod-activated shower and push-handle eye/face wash. It is equipped with frosted front strip curtains, interior grab bars, raised deck grating and bottom or rear drain outlet. The decontamination booth is compliant with both ANSI and OSHA.
HEMCO
www.HEMCOcorp.com

Fog-Resistant Goggles
Encon’s 500AFR Series goggles resist fog while protecting wearers against chemical splash, dust and flying particles and debris. The goggles fit over most prescription glasses and feature a QuickDraw headband strap retainer for secure fit adjustment.  500AFR goggles offer 99.9 percent UVA and UVB protection and conform to ANSI Z87.1-2015.
Encon
www.enconsafety.com

Emergency Shower/Eye Wash Combination Unit
The AXION MSR ABS plastic drench showerhead with flow control delivers dispersed flow for uniform drenching.  This unit from Haws Co. also features a stainless steel push flag for eyewash activation,  a round 11 in. (27.9 cm) stainless steel bowl, stainless steel pull rod for shower activation, mesh in-line eyewash strainer to collect line debris and ball valves with a stainless steel ball and stem for durability.  The combination shower/eyewash station is certified to meet the ANSI Z358.1 standard.
Haws
www.hawsco.com