Safety Showers & Eyewashes

Both, usually. An eyewash flushes the eyes and face for 15 minutes; a safety shower drenches the whole body. Where corrosive or hot liquids can hit the body, the Haws 8320 AXION combination safety shower combines shower and eyewash on one column. For a bench or fume-cupboard area, a wall-mounted eyewash such as the Haws 7460B AXION wall-mounted eyewash station is enough. EN 15154 sets the flow rates and the 10-second walking distance.

Use a self-contained unit. The Haws 7500 gravity-fed eyewash holds enough water for a 15-minute flush and hangs on a wall or shelf; the Haws 7603 portable pressurised eyewash is pressurised and can be carried to a work site. Both need the water changed on the schedule in the manual, with the preservative supplied, and a weekly check that the unit is full and unobstructed.

Weekly: run every plumbed shower and eyewash long enough to clear the line and confirm flow, and record it. Yearly: a full inspection against EN 15154 or ANSI Z358.1, including flow rate, water temperature and the spray pattern. The Haws 8122 AXION safety shower has a stay-open valve, and with a test bucket the weekly run is quick and dry.