The U.S. cannabis industry is currently worth $61 billion with nationwide sales increasing 67% in 2020.  With even more growth expected as more states relax cannabis consumption and/or possession laws, it is not surprising that producers are popping up all over the country. Knowing the industry risks, having a safety plan along with the right equipment will help decrease the chances of serious injuries or fatalities.

Ensuring the safety of workers should be one of your primary concerns as an employer. Investing in safety showers ensures you are investing in the safety of your employees as well as providing yourself with peace of mind that you are compliant to national and international standards. It can, however, be a challenging task.

Every year, thousands of workers are injured or suffer ill effects due to hazardous substances. Employers are responsible for taking effective measures to control exposure to these substances and to ensure proper procedures are in place in the event of a spill or splash.

There is a wide range of chemicals that can be hazardous to workers health. If a substance is harmful, they will be clearly labelled with the relevant hazard symbol(s). Common materials in everyday use such as paint, bleach, solvent, or fillers are all considered hazardous.

The water held in a self-contained shower or eye/face wash units may become stagnant. This makes it susceptible to bacterial growth and if not properly treated and maintained can become a source of infection.

We outline some practical steps for limiting bacteria growth in your safety showers and eye/face wash equipment.

It’s important to know how seasonal weather changes affect your safety equipment, especially if placed outdoors.

With some sites closed due to regional and national lockdown, it’s more crucial than ever that you inspect and maintain your emergency safety showers to ensure they are ready for winter.

The international standard for safety showers and eye/face wash equipment, ANSI Z358.1-2014 specifies that water delivered by an emergency safety shower must be tepid. Safety showers provide immediate relief for employees splashed with hazardous chemicals.

The water, delivered at a minimum of 76 litres per minute for 15 minutes, washes the chemical from the skin and out of the eyes. However, a safety shower that operates outside of the tepid water range can cause more harm to a victim.

Hurricane Laura, the fifth strongest storm to make landfall in the United States in recorded history, hit the US Gulf Coast at the end of August. An oil refinery and storage facility in Louisiana were left without electricity and an unreliable water supply following hurricane Laura for several weeks. Subsequently, the plumbed in safety showers on the site were out of action putting worker safety at risk.

To avoid huge losses from a potential shutdown, the Louisiana facility reached out to Hughes for emergency units.

A fact that was made clear at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was that supplies of disinfectants, PPE and alcohol gel were too low to meet the demands of both front-line workers and the general public. Health-care workers in particular struggled with shortages, and alcohol hand gel was out of stock in stores everywhere.

Unexpectedly, micro-breweries and distilleries stepped in to meet the increased need. These manufacturers quickly altered their processes to make way for the production of thousands upon thousands of bottles of hand sanitiser.

Data storage centre sites store computing and networking equipment for the purpose of collecting, storing, processing, distributing or allowing access to large amounts of data. It's essential to ensure that these sites conform to health and safety guidelines and workers are safe.

The food & drink industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, contributing more than £28bn to the economy every year. This industry and its employees face increased demand from a constantly growing population. As pressure to escalate production increases, the industry cannot afford to neglect the safety of its workers.

Vaping has made its mark as one of the fastest growing industries of the 21st century. With the number of vapers globally climbing from just 7 million in 2011 to a staggering 41 million in 2018 and a market worth an estimated £15.5 billion, it’s unsurprising that new vape liquid manufacturers are popping up every day. To ensure that your e-liquid production facility conforms to health and safety guidelines and your workers are safe, it’s important to invest in ANSI compliant showers and eye/face wash equipment.

Emergency showers and eye wash stations ensure workers can receive immediate relief from chemical burns. Learn how Hughes helps you comply with OSHA safety shower requirements.