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- 16 Sept 2025
A Guide to Protecting Your Safety Showers in Winter
Freezing conditions can have a significant impact on safety showers. When temperatures drop, water inside pipework can solidify, leaving the unit inoperable at the very moment it is needed most. This can pose a serious risk to a casualty and result in penalties for non-compliance, including significant fines and/or imprisonment.
European and international standards require that safety showers and eyewash equipment remain fully operational year-round, regardless of the climate. That means taking steps to ensure units are frost-protected, delivering tepid water and maintained correctly.
This guide explains the risks of cold conditions, outlines the equipment available to keep your workforce protected, and highlights the role of regular maintenance and servicing. Whether you’re operating in a mild winter climate or extreme sub-zero conditions, choosing the right solution and carrying out ongoing checks will ensure you remain compliant and safeguard the health and safety of your workers.
In This Guide
Why Cold Climates Put Safety Showers at Risk
The UK’s winter temperatures average between 2-7°C, with other areas of Europe reaching lows of -4°C. When temperatures fall, safety showers and eyewash stations are vulnerable to freezing. Feed pipes, standpipes and valves exposed to cold conditions can quickly ice over. If this happens, the water supply may be blocked before it reaches the unit, or the components may be damaged.
In these circumstances, a shower can be rendered inoperable during an emergency. If a worker suffers a chemical splash or spill, every second counts. An unusable unit can worsen the injury and place the business at risk of non-compliance with standards.
Failure to provide working emergency safety equipment can lead to significant legal consequences, including fines or imprisonment. For sites operating in cold or extreme climates, ensuring that safety showers remain functional at all times is vital.
Frost and Freeze Protection for Safety Showers
To keep safety showers operational in freezing conditions, it’s essential to choose units designed with frost and freeze protection. Different technologies are available depending on the climate and the level of risk.
Trace tape heating (down to -25°C)
Trace tape heated products protect exposed pipework from frost by maintaining a low level of warmth around the feed lines. This ensures that water doesn’t freeze before it reaches the shower, keeping the unit ready for use even in sustained sub-zero conditions.
Immersion heated models (down to -35°C)
For more extreme cold, immersion-heated units such as the STD-MH-15KS/11KS keep the water inside the pipework from freezing in ambient conditions as low as -35°C. These systems provide a higher level of protection for sites operating in harsher winter climates.
Temperature-controlled units
Sites without a constant or reliable water supply can benefit from temperature-controlled showers. For example, the STD-TC-100K/45G features a 300-litre tank with a 3kW heater and a thermostatically controlled mixing valve. The tank fills with water from the mains and heats it to an exact water temperature, ensuring the delivery of tepid water for the full 15 minutes required by European and ANSI standards. The unit can also supply heated water to multiple showers in the vicinity.
Emergency tank showers
For more remote sites or those without a consistent potable water supply our emergency tank showers with immersion heaters are the perfect option. These showers are self-contained, with the 1500-litre model holding enough water to provide 15 continuous minutes of waterflow for a thorough decontamination and compliance to relevant standards.
Polar tank showers (down to -50°C)
For the most severe climates, polar tank showers offer the highest level of protection. These feature double-skinned fibreglass insulated cubicles with internal heaters and folding doors to shield the casualty from external elements. Designed for use in ambient temperatures as low as -50°C, they ensure the shower and its user are protected.
By matching the correct frost-protected model to the conditions on site, you can ensure that your safety showers remain compliant, functional and able to deliver tepid water when it matters most.
Ensuring Tepid Water in Winter
In an emergency, a safety shower must deliver tepid water within the correct temperature range. Both ANSI Z358.1 and EN 15154 standards require a continuous flow of water between 16-38°C for a minimum of 15 minutes.
During winter, maintaining this temperature can be challenging. Heated showers provide the solution, using internal heaters and thermostatically controlled mixing valves to keep water within the required range. Models such as the STD-TC-100K-45G are specifically designed to remain on standby, ready to deliver compliant tepid water for over 15 minutes, even in sub-zero climates.
If the water is too cold, it can discourage an injured worker from staying under the shower for the full 15 minutes, increasing the risk of incomplete decontamination. If it is too hot, it can cause further skin damage. Tepid water is critical to quickly and comfortably flushing a substance away to lessen the severity of an injury.
Winter Maintenance Checklist
Even the best-equipped safety showers need regular checks to ensure they will perform in an emergency. Winter conditions make maintenance even more important, as freezing temperatures can quickly compromise equipment reliability.
Weekly Activations
Standards recommend that safety showers and eyewash units be visually inspected and activated once a week. This process flushes the system, prevents sediment build-up in the standpipes, and ensures valves and flow mechanisms remain fully functional. Weekly activations also provide peace of mind that your units are ready to use at any time.
Annual Servicing
A more in-depth inspection should be carried out at least once per year. Regular servicing identifies potential issues before they escalate and confirms that your equipment remains compliant with safety requirements. Hughes offers both Essential and EssentialPlus service contracts, providing flexible options to ensure your showers and eyewash equipment are always in peak condition.
Pipework Insulation and Trace Heating
Even if the safety shower itself is frost-protected, unprotected feed lines can still freeze and cut off the supply of water. Insulating and trace heating all pipework is important to keep water flowing in cold climates and avoid frozen inlets that could render the unit unusable.
By following this winter maintenance advice, businesses can reduce the risk of failure, remain compliant with international standards and safeguard workers in the event of an emergency.
Temporary and Mobile Safety Showers
If your permanent safety showers are out of service for maintenance, repair or replacement, temporary hire units provide an effective short-term solution. Mobile safety showers ensure workers remain protected and that your site continues to meet safety requirements without interruption.
Hughes offers 1,200-litre self-contained immersion-heated mobile units, capable of supplying a continuous flow of tepid water for over 15 minutes at 76 litres per minute, in full compliance with ANSI and EN standards. These units are insulated and heated to withstand cold weather, making them suitable for use during the winter months or in sites exposed to freezing conditions.
We also offer the STD-40K/45G with an immersion-heated jacket to ensure protection against the elements.
Whether needed for a few days, several months or longer, mobile showers provide flexibility and peace of mind. They allow operations to continue safely while permanent units are being installed or serviced, ensuring there is no gap in protection for workers.
Matching the Right Shower to Your Site Conditions
No two sites face the same challenges, which means there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to safety showers. Choosing the right unit depends on the environment, water supply and level of risk.
Outdoor vs Indoor Placement
Showers installed outdoors are more vulnerable to freezing and therefore require frost-protection features such as trace tape heating, immersion heating and insulated cubicles. Indoor units may be shielded from the worst of the cold, but still need to deliver tepid water and undergo regular maintenance to ensure compliance.
Remote Sites Without Potable Water Supply
For sites without reliable mains water, self-contained heated tank showers are a suitable choice. These units provide a guaranteed supply of tepid water for the full 15 minutes required by standard, regardless of local infrastructure.
Extreme Climates vs Mild Winters
In mild climates, insulated and trace-heated units may be sufficient. But in extreme conditions, such as those faced in parts of Northern Europe or offshore oil and gas platforms, polar tank showers with double-skinned insulated cubicles and internal heaters are often the only option to ensure worker safety.
Industry-Specific Examples
- Oil & gas: offshore rigs and refineries operate in some of the harshest climates, making polar tank showers and heated units essential.
- Chemical plants: with a higher risk of hazardous spills, reliable tepid water delivery is critical year-round.
- Utilities: outdoor worksites, such as power stations and water treatment facilities, require frost-protected equipment to keep workers safe in all conditions.
Cold climates present unique challenges for safety showers and eyewash equipment. Freezing feed pipes, inoperable units and non-compliance are risks that can be avoided with the right preparation. By selecting frost-protected or heated models, ensuring tepid water delivery and carrying out regular maintenance, businesses can safeguard their workforce and meet the requirements of ANSI and EN standards.
Every second counts in an emergency, and a properly specified, well-maintained safety shower could make the difference between a minor incident and a life-changing injury.
To discuss the best solution for your site, or to arrange a service contract, contact Hughes today.
