Controlling Water Temperature (ANSI 2009)

Emergency safety showers and emergency eye baths provide essential first aid in the event of an accident involving hazardous substances. Simply installing the equipment doesn’t guarantee it will be effective. If the water temperature is too high or too low casualties will not be able to stay under the shower for the minimum period of 15 minutes which is recommended for decontamination.

The ANSI Z 358.1 2009 standard recommends that water is delivered from an emergency safety shower at a temperature between 16C and 38C. It also recommends a minimum flow rate of 75 litres a minute at 2.1 bars for at least 15 minutes.

Where the ambient temperature is high such as in the desert, solar radiation will quickly raise the temperature of water in storage tanks and pipe work to an unbearable level and make the shower unusable. For mains fed showers self-draining models offer a simple solution by removing water from the standpipe when not in use and therefore avoiding the risk of it being heated by the sun.

Where mains supplies are inadequate, unreliable or simply not available tank showers are generally used. Various capacities are available. Hughes Safety Showers has a wide range that goes from 350 up to 2400 litres. The larger models provide sufficient water for the ANSI recommended 15 minutes, even if the mains supply is disconnected.

A variety of techniques are employed to maintain a safe water temperature in tank showers. One of the great advantages of the Hughes chiller, apart from the low maintenance required, is that it can also be fitted to tank showers that are already in service. 

An example of a Hughes tank shower and chiller is shown below.

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