Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:14:36 -0600
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Alan Hall <ahalltoxic**At_Symbol_Here**MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: Lab safety showers
In-Reply-To: <81D06076-D068-4279-A145-45258EBBEE6C**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com><

I agree with Rob Toreki,
 
This is a senseless regulation that would do much more harm than good,&nb sp;and presents a slip-and-fall hazard full time, not just whe n the emergency shower is in use.
 
I also agree with how dilute most chemical splashes would be by the time yo u dilute them with 15 minutes **At_Symbol_Here** 20 gallons/minute = 300 gallons of water.
 
Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.
 


Date: Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:55:20 -0400
From: info**At_Symbol_Here**ILPI.COM
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab safety showers
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU

Wow, thanks for sharing.  That one is a poster child for Bad Regulations.

1. Let's say the berm encompasses a 4' x 4' area around the shower. &n bsp;That's 16 square feet, one inch high, for a volume of 1.33 cubic feet = 10 gallons.  Under ANSI Z358, showers must put out at lea st 20 gallons per minute.  And that shower is likely to flow for 5 , if not 15 minutes.  So the berm is essentially useless.

Now, if the reg is calling for a berm that say, stretches across a n entire hallway or doorway - heck, or just around the drain itself, th at might work by flooding the rest of the building, as all it does is mak e the floor drain non-functional.  Plugging the floor drain permanen tly is an easier solution.

2. The amount of hazardous material on a victim is going to be so exce edingly small and so diluted in the drains that it boggles the mind.   ;Seriously - you get what, 10 mL of concentrated acid on you and that w ashes down the drain with 100 gallons of water?   Yeesh.  And if the stuff was so nasty toxic that it is a hazard even that dilue, thi s city review department thinks it's better to spread the hazmat all over t he building and down a couple floors onto various objects and people than i t is to send it down the drain.

3. When you're blinded by something and trying to find a shower on foo t or on a wheelchair, even that 1" sloped bump is a barrier.  And no doubt a trip hazard the rest of time no matter how well it's marked with floor tape.

Rob Toreki

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On Oct 28, 2010, at 2:31 PM, Betsy Shelton wrote:

I am currently involved in construction of two new laboratories and was instructed by the city commercial building review department to in clude a 1" high curb around the shower area to keep hazmat from entering th e floor drain in the event of a spill.  Also, the curb has to be s loped on both sides to allow accessibility.

--
Best regards,
Betsy Shelton
512.636.1905
retrosynthesis**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com


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