All industries face their own limitations which can make implementing safety equipment a challenging task. Over the years, Hughes have developed a product range to provide safety showers and eye baths that provide relief in any environment. However, often our customers bring us new challenges which require a bespoke service. At Hughes, we pride ourselves on working directly with our customers to understand their requirements and engineer the most appropriate solutions, whatever the demands.
Asia is home to the largest producers of pulp and paper in the world. China singlehandedly produces over 99 million tons worth of material each year, followed by Japan which produces an additional 26 million tons. A combination of hundreds of different chemicals will be used throughout the laborious process by different manufacturers worldwide.
Safety showers and eye washes are designed to be simple to activate in the event of an emergency, going from off to on within a second. Once they have been installed in the correct position, within 10 seconds reach of the hazard with no obstructions as per EN and ANSI standard stipulations, employees must be made aware of their location and how to use them effectively.
Industries worldwide rely on the steady supply of minerals and metals harvested by the mining industry such as coal, iron ore, bauxite, and potash. Though the final products of mining may not be hazardous, there are many chemical risks that mine workers are exposed to daily.
Ensuring that communities and businesses have access to safe, clean water each day is a top priority for the water and wastewater sector. From drinking water to crop irrigation to support the food supply, properly treated wastewater is essential to prevent disease and protect the environment.
A laboratory incident at UC Berkeley in 2009 caused severe chemical burns to a student. A few drops of the corrosive chemical oleylamine fell onto a researcher’s uncovered forearm. When he realized what happened, he went to the restroom and washed his arm with soap and water for about a minute. Unfortunately, oleylamine is corrosive and hard to wash off the skin.
EU and International standards, EN15154 and ANSI Z358.1-2014, stipulate weekly testing and inspection of safety showers and eye washes, as well as annual servicing to remain compliant. If a shower fails to function correctly or further injures an employee, significant fines and/or imprisonment could be enforced.
Over recent years, the hospitality sector has been recovering from the substantial financial losses caused by the pandemic. Alongside these losses came a change in customer priorities, with 55% of UK consumers stating cleanliness being of greater importance since the pandemic.
Cleaning products are the most common hazardous substances used in the hospitality sector. Now, with increased sanitising expected and required, these chemical cleaners are used more frequently and are purchased and stored in higher volumes to keep up with demand.
With winter on the way, are you sure that your safety showers can survive the cold? It’s important to consider how a fall in ambient temperature could affect this life-saving equipment, especially if the units are placed outdoors.
Working with hazardous chemicals is a huge health and safety challenge, in part mitigated by the provision of essential emergency shower and eye wash equipment. However, add in the issue of high ambient temperatures and supplying suitable decontamination solutions becomes more complicated.
You’ve purchased a safety shower or eye/face wash, the unit has been installed according to ANSI and EN standards, within 20 metres or 10 seconds reach of the hazard, is easily identifiable and free from obstructions.Do all employees know where to find these units? Do they know how to activate a safety shower or eye wash in an emergency?
There are very specific rules and guidelines around the storage and transportation of dangerous substances. From the material of the vessel through to the temperature of the room the chemical is stored in, it’s essential that employers mitigate the risks to ensure the safety of employees, the public and property.
