006: Avoid This Emergeny Shower Fine

Join GotSafety expert Michael Crawley as he discusses how one company in California was fined almost $5,000 for not having an emergency shower near the battery charging station in their warehouse.

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The Citation

This week’s OSHA Oops podcast episode, we touch on emergency showers and a company that was fined nearly $5k for not having one. 

Here is what was said in the citation: “the employer failed to provide facilities for quick drenching of the body…in the two indoor electric battery charging areas utilized by warehouse employees to change electric reach truck and electric pallet jack batteries.”

 If this company had plumbed in emergency showers near the charging stations, this fine could have easily been avoided.

 

 

Emergency Showers

If a hazardous substance comes into contact with your skin, it can do a lot of damage in a matter of seconds. That’s where emergency showers come in: the faster you get the substance off of your skin, the better. 

Requirements for an Emergency Shower

  • Has a clear pathway from your workstation to the shower
  • Is not further than 10 seconds away from your workstation
  • Is at the correct height, generally between 82-96 inches above ground level.
  • Is properly maintained and tested
  • Has a control valve that does not have to be held in order to keep the water
  • Is in a safe area where no more contact with the substance can happen
  • Is protected from freezing

With GotSafety on your side, you can avoid fines such as this one. Give us a call at 800-734-3574 and we can give you a demo of our services and how we can help! And remember, if you have an employee that is hurt on the job, you have to report it to the nearest district Cal/OSHA office within 8 hours.