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The most widely accepted international standard for safety showers and eye/face wash equipment, ANSI Z358.1-2014 specifies a tepid water supply to the shower, vital to ensuring worker safety.
What is tepid water?
Tepid water is controlled within a fixed temperature range – 16 to 36°C (60 to 100°F). The ANSI standard specifies a tepid water supply for at least 15 minutes when activating an emergency shower or eye/face wash equipment.
Why is tepid water important?
Safety showers provide immediate relief for employees splashed with hazardous chemicals. The water washes the chemical from the skin and out of the eyes.
A safety shower that operates outside of the tepid water range can cause more harm to a victim. A hot shower can scald the injured person adding temperature burns to their injuries and increasing the chance of chemical absorption. On the other hand, a person is likely to leave a cold shower before the ANSI recommended 15 minutes is complete. This exposes them to ongoing chemical burns and may even induce hypothermia.
Tepid water shower options
Emergency Tank Showers with tepid water
Emergency Tank Showers are ideal for areas where water supply pressure and flow are unreliable or where there is no worker walking in to a tank showerconstant water supply. The integrated tanks contain enough water to meet the 15-minute minimum specified in the ANSI standard.
A specialized solution for frigid or Arctic climates is the Polar Tank Shower. Fiberglass panels and doors insulate the shower area. A room heater keeps the interior temperature at a comfortable level, ensuring a victim is not left out in the cold.
Check out the features of the tank shower, watch our animation.
Indoor and Outdoor showers
Indoor and outdoor safety shower models are insulated and heated by an immersion heater to keep the water temperature consistent.
Self-draining Showers and chiller units
In extremely hot climates, Self-Draining Showers and chiller units keep the water temperature in the tepid range.
Take a look at our self-draining video to see how they work.
Temperature Controlled Safety Showers
Ideal for outdoor use, a Temperature Controlled Emergency Safety Shower has its own water tank with heater. It delivers tepid water on activation regardless of the ambient conditions.
These units are designed to remain on standby to deliver warm water for over 15 minutes, conforming to European and ANSI standards. The showers in this range have an integral heated water tank which can also be used as a warm water source to feed other emergency shower units in the local vicinity.
Find out more
Download the free guide to the ANSI standard for safety showers and emergency eyewash equipment.
Contact us
Contact Hughes to learn more about safety showers and our tepid water solutions. Our professional consultants can advise you on the best solution for your application as well as the regulatory requirements that are relevant to your industry.
