Eyes down for emergency equipment

Here, Steve Duree of Pland Stainless, takes a look at the latest developments in eye wash safety equipment design and the factors driving these changes.

Emergency showers and eyewashes are ubiquitous throughout laboratories. To immediately address the harmful effects of exposure to hazardous materials, such systems use significant amounts of water to drench the affected areas of the body, thereby removing and diluting any remaining materials. Immediate access to properly designed emergency equipment, such as showers, eye washes and eye / face washes are therefore vital in all laboratories and other environments where hazardous substances are present.

As a company we have been supplying laboratory equipment, including stainless steel sinks and bowls for many years. More recently, we have begun supplying the Haws range of emergency equipment as we had been approached by laboratory managers looking to improve their accident management facilities, specifically within the area of eye wash, eye / face wash as well as emergency showers.

If you have ever wondered why your nose runs when you cry, it is because the lacrimal puncta duct drains excess fluids, in this case tears, from the corner of the eye nearest to the nose, directly into the nasal cavity. The medical community have long understood this, however, when it comes to eye washes, many have been designed in such a way that actually drives contaminants towards this duct.

This is because most eyewashes focus twin streams of water in an upward and inward direction, which has the effect of forcing the contaminants towards the lacrimal duct. Unsurprisingly, the medical community irrigates eyes in exactly the opposite direction, driving the contaminants away from the duct to the outer edge of the eye. In a medical environment, irrigating fluid is introduced into the eye at the inner corner, or canthus, and is allowed to flow gently toward the outer corner, which has the effect of driving contaminants away from the lacrimal duct and vulnerable nasal cavity.

It is essential to keep contaminants away from this duct because it would transfer them to the nasal cavity, in exactly the same way as tears. From here, it can be breathed into the lungs or swallowed, exacerbating an already serious situation. When we were sourcing an eye wash system, we therefore used the medical understanding of the workings of the eye as a starting off point, which was the reason why we chose the Haws Axion MSR system. Axion MSR had recently been awarded the prestigious ‘Innovative Product of the Year’ award at the Expo Protection 2008 Conference in Paris and we therefore knew that is was one of the most effective systems available. Specifically, it was recognised for its design, which irrigates the eye in a manner consistent with eye care professionals – driving contaminants away from the duct. This technology is available on combination showers, as well as wall-mounted and pedestal eye and eye/face washes.

As everyone knows, any object or fluid near the eye can cause a certain amount of distress - simply placing a finger up to the eye causes discomfort. Between the trauma itself and shock, a victim’s state of mind during emergency response procedures usually varies from anxious to downright terrified, which is why the stress imposed on a victim during an emergency accident shouldn’t be overlooked. It is therefore important that when eye washes are used, they irrigate the eye in the proper direction as well as being comfortable for the user.

Recent innovations in this area have seen the introduction of laminar flow designs in eyewash and eye/face wash products. A laminar flow eliminates the turbulence in the water directed at the eyes because the stream is built-up in layers. Without a laminar flow, turbulence or inconsistencies in the flow stream can strike the eye as a change in pressure, making it extremely uncomfortable for the user. A laminar flow provides an even, predictable stream of fluid, which is of equal circumference, making the user as comfortable as possible during its use. This greater comfort translates into increased likelihood of using the full 15-minute drench and this has been shown to be the most effective duration for minimising the detrimental effect of contaminants in the eye.

Emergency equipment should also deliver tepid flushing water, which again encourages the victim to remain for the full 15 minutes within the drench area. The flushing fluid must be within a specific temperature range of around 16ºC to 38ºC.

Already being a manufacturer of laboratory equipment, including sinks and bowls meant that eye washes and eye / face washes, along with emergency showers were a natural progression for our range. One of the key deciding factors when we were looking at extending our range to include the Haws safety equipment, was the fact that it had ‘designed-in’ features that provided the victim with the best chance of minimizing permanent injury. The combination of Axiom technology and lateral flow were key for us as it created a much more effective and user friendly means of addressing emergency responses in the laboratory. 

As a general rule, the sooner emergency equipment, such as eye washes are used, the better the chances of recovery for the victim. If it is carried out immediately after the accident and whilst medical care is being sought by others, a well designed eye wash can be a vital part of a laboratory operation.