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Do I Need An Eyewash Station?

While every business can benefit from installing an eyewash station as a precautionary first-aid measure, the safety controls and compliance requirement to do so will depend on your business processes and the dynamics of your workplace.

To determine whether your business' current eye safety control measures are sufficient and adequate, you should consider the following:

• 1. Have you conducted a workplace eye injury risk assessment? A risk assessment helps identify and assess the chemicals, hazards and work processes most likely to expose your workers to an eye injury.
• 2.Do you have Safe Work Procedures (SWPs) documented and in practice for every task that carries a potential risk of eye injury? While an eyewash station is an instrumental piece of emergency first aid equipment, it won't prevent an accident. To protect workers from chemical contact, fumes or flying debris, you must have appropriate risk control measures in place, such as isolation devices and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• 3. Have you attempted to eliminate or reduce identified hazards? Prevention is by far better than cure if you can remove the potential source of an eye injury that should be your priority in your WHS efforts.
• 4. Have any recent changes or events in the workplace occurred that could warrant new (or expanded) emergency decontamination eyewash facilities? Such as:

• New hazardous substances: whenever new chemicals and Dangerous Goods enter the workplace, existing decontamination equipment and protocols require evaluation. Referring to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) will provide hazard class information and first aid recommendations. For example: introducing Class 8 corrosive chemicals for disinfecting frequently touched surfaces as part of your COVID-Safe Plan to minimise the risk of coronavirus transmission in your workplace
• Production output increases: The larger and more complex your business becomes, the greater the chance you will increase the quantity and variety of hazardous chemicals, and Dangerous Goods kept onsite. Workers may also be exposed to chemicals for extended periods, or there may be more work areas or equipment where staff could potentially sustain an eye injury.
• Workforce expansion: As your staff numbers grow the risk of eye injury increases leading to a greater likelihood of needing one or multiple eyewash stations depending on risk.
• Renovations and construction work: During these events, your workspace may experience increased eye health risks from dust and airborne debris as well as possible irritation from solvents and paints. Another important consideration is whether access to existing workplace emergency decontamination facilities may be impacted or obstructed during or after renovations or construction work.
• New equipment and machinery: Every new piece of equipment or machinery introduced to your business requires assessment for risks and hazards, such as whether an operator is at increased risk of exposure to dust, flying particles, chemical contact, fumes, splashes, sparks, flashes or burns.
• An accident, incident, or near-miss has occurred: Following a workplace incident investigation, you may determine the need for new or improved or increased decontamination facilities.
• An independent audit or inspection has determined the need to install an eyewash station: WorkSafe Australia and independent consultants and safety auditors who specialise in Dangerous Goods can inspect your workplace. Using their knowledge of hazardous chemicals across a range of industries, they can identify potential hazards and limitations of your existing SWPs and decontamination equipment that you may have overlooked. They will also help you appraise the adequacy of existing or proposed eyewash installations.