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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Safety Showers, Drains and ADA Compliance
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 11:00:00 AM
Author: Dr Bob <drbob**At_Symbol_Here**FLOWSCIENCES.COM> 		Next by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Safety Showers, Drains and ADA Compliance
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 16:28:15 +0000
Author: "Stuart, Ralph"

From: Margaret Rakas <mrakas**At_Symbol_Here**SMITH.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Safety Showers, Drains and ADA Compliance
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 11:19:38 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: CAAszpkzU0h7ari39YGdd4ecLK1q1yaahH_RhmfonmVj6q9XgPA**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To


Not having drains for eyewashes is awful. I know. Ours were 'value engineered' out. Ask your architect/engineer/building guru how you are supposed to test the eyewashes. They will suggest a 5-gallon bucket that will fill in about 2 minutes. Ask them to specify exactly the procedure and equipment you need to have onhand if someone uses the eyewash for 15 minutes. They'll wave their arms and mumble.

My understanding, at least in MA, is that whenever you have a drainage pipe you need a vent pipe as well. And that second pipe (which didn't used to be required) is what costs $$ in materials and labor. But that cost is really minuscule compared to the cleanup cost the first time a student has to use the eyewash for 15 minutes. We retrofitted drench hoses onto our sinks (of course, kept the eyewash/shower combo in place) so that if there was an exposure that could be dealt with over the sink, we'd have a tool in our toolbox. But we've had students use the eyewash and cleanup was something else.

In my opinion, it is a serious mistake--and your faculty will be howling, trust me--not to have eyewash drains. I feel the same way about shower drains, BTW. But those typically are much less in use...thankfully!

My personal opinion only....
Margaret

On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 10:53 AM, Suzanne Howard <showard**At_Symbol_Here**wellesley.edu> wrote:
Hi Melissa,
We are in the process of designing a new science bldg and was told that we can't have drains for the safety showers and the eyewashes. Our architects state the reason is that the size of the drains would have to be very large.....? They also indicate that the cost for plumbing is too great. Have not yet decided if EHS should push for drains or not, or, if it is even possible.
Suzanne

--
Suzanne Howard
Director EHS
Wellesley College

On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 10:21 AM, Melissa Anderson <mwanderson08**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com> wrote:
Greetings Everyone,

We're working with architects right now to plan out chem labs for a new science building. We've asked for drains under the safety showers and were told that wouldn't be possible because in order to be ADA compliant and have drains, the safety showers would take up too much space- has anyone encountered such an argument?

(Note, we're extremely constrained on space due to some very complicated politics I won't go into here, so making the labs bigger is not an option.)

Thanks,
Melissa Anderson
Instructor
Pasadena City College
--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas




--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional secretary at secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas



--
Margaret A. Rakas, Ph.D.
Manager, Inventory & Regulatory Affairs
Clark Science Center
413-585-3877 (p)

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