Article published in the May 2019 newsletter.
KEEP THOSE EYEWASH TESTING SHEETS!
Research labs must test eyewashes within their lab space on a monthly basis, at a minimum. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recommends testing weekly; EHS also strongly recommends weekly testing to ensure water quality.
In addition to testing the eyewash, labs must keep documentation detailing when eyewashes were tested. This documentation will be checked by EHS safety advisors beginning in 2019. Labs should ensure that at least one full years’ worth of testing documentation is kept for the advisor to review. Best practices would be to keep the current year and the prior year testing sheets on hand for your annual lab review. Signature pages are available on the EHS website at the links below:
If we do not have the sheets documenting that the eyewash was tested over the past year, then we have no proof that testing was done which can result in a warning or deficiency during the lab review. Remember, we need documentation going all the way back to your last lab review so we know testing occurred throughout the entire year.