Eyewash station ?

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Davebones

Senior Member
Location
North Of Tampa Fl
Have a light switch about 2 ft away from a eye wash station with a wash down hose . Its 277 volt lighting . Also on the floor to the left of the eye wash station is a water cooler plugged into a outlet . The outlet is behind the water cooler. Safety has questioned this and says its a wet location 1910.305 (e) (2) . From a previous post I saw here I say it isn't . I will double check the water cooler and verify that the outlet behind it is a GFI protected . What I have a question about the 277 volt light switch . Is the light switch a violation ?
 
As per anouther post no

As per anouther post no

This just came up not to long ago, and the outcome was "it is an emergency I wash" and is not a wet location.
 
@ + @ =&

DaveBones,

Your OP regarding the light switch 2 ft. away from an Eye Wash \
Rinse Station is a subjective question.

In reading the Letter of the definition of a Wet Location [ from
the NEC ], one may or may not conclude that the switch is not in
Wet Location.

The Owner of the building may want to cover his arse with the
price of a "waterproof switch cover".......His insurance provider
"might" also agree.........It comes down to defining the risk versus
the cost to reduce the injury potential.........This is a Risk
Assessment scenario.

QUESTION 4 U ( and others ):
Would you, as the bldg. owner, want to reduce your [ potential ]
monetary losses by damage to the bldg. and injury to humans, by
installing a waterproof switch cover, or simply not do anything
because of a Definition in the NEC ?


& - & = @
 
north star said:
[/COLOR]QUESTION 4 U ( and others ):
Would you, as the bldg. owner, want to reduce your [ potential ]
monetary losses by damage to the bldg. and injury to humans, by
installing a waterproof switch cover, or simply not do anything
because of a Definition in the NEC ?


& - & = @[/FONT][/SIZE]
Click to expand...
There is no danger in having a light switch next to an eyewash station so there is no reason to install a weatherproof cover.
 
ActionDave said:
There is no danger in having a light switch next to an eyewash station so there is no reason to install a weatherproof cover.
Click to expand...

If you try to actuate the light switch while your face is buried in the eyewash, all I can say is "Darwin Award Nominee!"
 
@ ~ @

"There is no danger in having a light switch next to an eyewash station
so there is no reason to install a weatherproof cover."
Click to expand...
That is your opinion.......The bldg. owner' insurance provider
may not see it that way.......In fact, the bldg. owner may
actually get a cost reduction for being proactive in enacting
safety measures [ or perceived ] safety measures.


@ ~ @
 
$ = $

"And do you consider the ongoing extra difficulty in actuating the switch
to be justified by the hypothetical risk? "
Click to expand...
What difficulty ? :blink:


Single Gang Toggle Switch Cover

HD1M25TN.gif




$ = $
 
ActionDave said:
There is no danger in having a light switch next to an eyewash station so there is no reason to install a weatherproof cover.
Click to expand...

Assuming I buy this for a moment, why not put light switches (even with weatherproof covers) inside of shower stalls indoors? I hope this switch is not needed to illuminate the area of the station.


OP, is this eyewash station indoor or out? I deduct from the water cooler it's indoor. Is it a shower type where the switch would get wet, or a gravity tank type with removeable cups that once removed you stick your face in?

I've made my position on eyewash stations clear many times in the past. If you are using one, you are probably freaking out, covered in chemicals, and 99% of the time common sense will go right out the window. Muriatic acid, lye, etc in your eyes tends to do that. Make it as safe and idiot-proof as possible. There is a great deal of room to improve in industrial safety, for relatively little cost. Are you the engineer that says "it's been this way for x years, they'll be ok" or one who goes "you know, under certain conditions, that have happened before elsewhere, it might be a good idea to..."?

In this particular example, I agree with northstar 100%
 
north star said:
@ ~ @

That is your opinion.......The bldg. owner' insurance provider
may not see it that way.......In fact, the bldg. owner may
actually get a cost reduction for being proactive in enacting
safety measures [ or perceived ] safety measures.


@ ~ @
Click to expand...

While it may be an opinion it is a correct one.
 
JFletcher said:
Assuming I buy this for a moment, why not put light switches (even with weatherproof covers) inside of shower stalls indoors? I hope this switch is not needed to illuminate the area of the station.


OP, is this eyewash station indoor or out? I deduct from the water cooler it's indoor. Is it a shower type where the switch would get wet, or a gravity tank type with removeable cups that once removed you stick your face in?

I've made my position on eyewash stations clear many times in the past. If you are using one, you are probably freaking out, covered in chemicals, and 99% of the time common sense will go right out the window. Muriatic acid, lye, etc in your eyes tends to do that. Make it as safe and idiot-proof as possible. There is a great deal of room to improve in industrial safety, for relatively little cost. Are you the engineer that says "it's been this way for x years, they'll be ok" or one who goes "you know, under certain conditions, that have happened before elsewhere, it might be a good idea to..."?

In this particular example, I agree with northstar 100%
Click to expand...

So in use covers in every homes kitchen that has a spray hose cause you never know ...
 
JFletcher said:
I've made my position on eyewash stations clear many times in the past. If you are using one, you are probably freaking out, covered in chemicals, and 99% of the time common sense will go right out the window. Muriatic acid, lye, etc in your eyes tends to do that. Make it as safe and idiot-proof as possible. There is a great deal of room to improve in industrial safety, for relatively little cost. Are you the engineer that says "it's been this way for x years, they'll be ok" or one who goes "you know, under certain conditions, that have happened before elsewhere, it might be a good idea to..."?

In this particular example, I agree with northstar 100%
Click to expand...
Someone goes to use the eyewash station. He's covered in acid, freaking out, and then what? He grabs onto the light switch while the light switch is subjected to a steady stream of water, while the dude freaking out is touching the light switch and then fire and sparks erupt and he collapses on the floor. That is only going to happen on a Hollywood movie set.
 
iwire said:
So in use covers in every homes kitchen that has a spray hose cause you never know ...
Click to expand...
With respect, I think there is a point being missed here by several posters.

An eyewash statiion is likely to be installed in an industrial facility or other process operations where there is a risk, however minimal, of eyes being subjected to harmful substances used in the process.
The cost to such an operation of making a local switch weatherproof would likely be negligible in the scale of their operation.
Just do it and the concerns expressed here, regardless of your views on their validity, are gone at a stroke.
 
Besoeker said:
With respect, I think there is a point being missed here by several posters.

An eyewash statiion is likely to be installed in an industrial facility or other process operations where there is a risk, however minimal, of eyes being subjected to harmful substances used in the process.
The cost to such an operation of making a local switch weatherproof would likely be negligible in the scale of their operation.
Just do it and the concerns expressed here, regardless of your views on their validity, are gone at a stroke.
Click to expand...

With respect you are ignoring the question the OP asked.

They did not ask what you think about it, they asked if it was a violation
 
iwire said:
So in use covers in every homes kitchen that has a spray hose cause you never know ...
Click to expand...

No. I specifically asked the original poster two pertinent questions: is this station indoors or outdoors, and it is it a shower or gravity flow type eye wash station. A water fight or errant spray from a sink are not in the scope of the OP's question nor my reply.

I would LOVE to address actiondave's argument re: perceived vs actual safety, however I cannot due to no politics policy on this forum.
 
iwire said:
So now we went from just adding a cover to replacing the box and the switch so we can install this?

For an emergency shower?

Crazy,just crazy.
Click to expand...
FYI, they make those switch plates that can be installed without changing the box. The red handled one is the one I use but it too is available with mounting holes as shown below.

PASSEME05198_WB_1_PE_001.jpg
 
JFletcher said:
No. I specifically asked the original poster two pertinent questions: is this station indoors or outdoors, and it is it a shower or gravity flow type eye wash station.
Click to expand...


How does that change things?

The OP is asking if the presence of a emergency eye wash station near an electrical device is a code violation.

Please stick with that, and cite the code section.:)

Indoors, outdoors gravity or pressure none of that comes into the question the OP asks .... unless I am missing a code section.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
FYI, they make those switch plates that can be installed without changing the box. The red handled one is the one I use but it too is available with mounting holes as shown below.

PASSEME05198_WB_1_PE_001.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes they do, it is not what was suggested and what box are you putting that on that maintains the listing? It will have to be an FS style box or it is just for show and not code compliance.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top