Eye wash

Overview

The first 10 seconds after exposure to a hazardous substance, especially a corrosive substance, are critical. Delaying treatment, even for a few seconds, may cause serious injury. Emergency eyewash stations allow workers to quickly flush away accidental chemical exposures.

Using an eyewash station is considered a first-aid measure. Be sure to do a hazard assessment to determine the hazards associated with chemicals in your workplace and how the eyewash station will be used in an emergency. Learn more in Oregon OSHA’s Eyewash and safety showers fact sheet.

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Publications

Fact sheets
- Eyewash and safety showers
  Explains requirements for eyewash stations and showers in workplaces where employees are exposed to substances that could injure their eyes, with guidance on hazard assessment and equipment selection.
  English 08/15/2023
References
- Rules with requirements
  We get many calls and emails from employers asking the same question. It begins: “Which of your rules have requirements for…” You can finish the sentence with words like “recordkeeping,” “employee training,” and “written documents.” To answer those questions, we’ve organized these rules requirements into a filterable, sortable, searchable table.
  English 05/10/2019

Education and training

Rules and rule-related

Final Rules
Interpretations
- Pesticide labels and eyewash requirements
  08/02/2007
- Tempered eye wash stations
  05/25/2007
Program Directives
- Enforcement Procedures for Occupational Exposure to Formaldehyde (A-159)
  Purpose: This instruction provides uniform inspection procedures and guidelines to be followed when conducting inspections and issuing citations for workers potentially exposed to formaldehyde.
  A-159 06/29/2017
- Eyewash and Safety Showers
  Purpose: This directive provides guidelines for determining when an eyewash and/or safety shower is required and for assessing the adequacy of such facilities.
  A-063 01/24/2011
- Hydrofluoric Acid and Hydrogen Fluoride (HF)
  Purpose: To warn of the hazards involved in the use of HF solutions and give guidance in the evaluation of protective measures.
  A-204 02/27/2020

Eye wash

Overview

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Education and training

Rules and rule-related

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