Case Study in Tempered Water for Safety Wash Devices
An international beverage manufacturer requested our assistance with meeting OSHA requirements for all of the 30+ safety wash showers, eye/face washes, and drench hoses scattered around their plant. Our experience in a sanitary food, dairy and beverage environment was cited as a key factor in designing the system. Some quick research into OSHA Medical and First Aid Section 1910.151(c) and various OSHA-published clarifications yielded the following results:
- Where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use
- Safety wash devices are intended as the third line of defense following a well-designed workspace and MSDS-defined personal protection equipment
- OSHA does not specify the safety wash devices or design requirements, but they do reference ANSI standards as effective guidelines
The recently updated ANSI ISEA Z358.1-2009 Standard specifically defines point of use device requirements for water flow, temperature and pressure. And, the standard provides certification testing standards and maintenance protocol.
Placer Process designed, fabricated, and installed a turn-key solution that exceeds these requirements. The example below describes the key elements used to implement the successful solution. Our full service team is glad to do the same job at your facility, just give us a call to discuss how we can provide you with a tempered water system that exceeds OSHA requirements.
Engineered Tempered Water Distribution Example
Key Elements
- Water heater or chiller
- Water mixing valve with failure bypass
- Self-regulating pressure and temperature devices
- Circulation pump for fast on-demand tempered water
- Safety wash devices (showers, face and eye washes, drench hoses)
- Optional: skid mounted system for quick and easy installation and water and electrical supply
Services and Documentation Provided by Placer Process for Tempered Water Systems
- Emergency devices are audited for location, condition and performance before design to identify any compliance gaps. We will supply all safety wash devices to meet OSHA requirements and ANSI standards. Placer Process provides turnkey design, manufacture and installation of equipment to provide tempered water for safety equipment.
- Pre-construction verification is achieved with hydraulic software flow modeling. The model is accurately designed to match site conditions (temperature, piping layout, existing and new emergency device type and location). This provides you with reassurance that desired pressure and flow requirements are met prior to installation. Examples are included with the documentation to show the system is prepared for worst-case scenarios.
- Following design review with you, Placer Process will purchase and fabricate all the system components to be ready for installation. Often, our customers opt for a skid-mounted system to simplify installation and streamline water and electrical connections. We finish with a certification test and your approval.
- All of our systems are fully documented with as-built P&ID’s, site layout drawings, flow model results, system photographs and equipment manuals. This is provided to you as hard-copy and digital.
