For people who work with chemicals, safety is a primary concern. Chemicals that get splashed in the eyes can cause permanent vision damage, or even complete vision loss. Immediately flushing chemicals from the eyes can help save a person’s vision. If your employees work with chemicals as part of their jobs, you should have an emergency eye wash station nearby and make sure everyone knows how to use it.

What to Do If Chemicals Get in an Employee’s Eyes

If chemicals are splashed in someone’s eyes, it is essential to begin flushing them immediately. Every second can make a difference in the long-term effects on the person’s sight.

An ANSI-compliant eye wash station can be activated with a single motion by pulling a lever. Eye flushing fluid will begin to flow from the faucets.

The person should turn his or her head so that both eyes are directly in the stream of the eye wash and hold the eyes open with his or her fingers. Once the eye wash station has been activated, eye wash fluid will continue to flow without the need to hold the lever.

The person should be instructed to roll his or her eyes from side to side and up and down to make sure the fluid gets to all parts of the eyes. If contact lenses are worn, they should be removed while flushing the eyes.

After chemicals have come into contact with a person’s eyes, it is essential to continue flushing the eyes for a full 15 minutes to dilute the chemicals and wash them out of the eyes completely. Less than 15 minutes is not enough time. After the eyes have been flushed for 15 minutes, the person should be transported to a hospital as soon as possible.

Order an Eye Wash Station from 1st Aid Supplies

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires workplaces to have an eye wash station available if employees work with chemicals. 1st Aid Supplies sells OSHA-compliant portable eye wash stations that can be used in a variety of workplaces.

The spray heads provide a continuous stream of eye wash for the recommended 15 minutes. Our eye wash station can be placed on a solid surface, such as a countertop, or mounted on a wall. The lightweight eye wash is easy to transport, and the transparent tank makes it easy to see when it needs to be cleaned or refilled. Order an eye wash station for your workplace from 1st Aid Supplies today.