# Emergency Showers & Eyewashes



## Paul Sweet (Feb 24, 2017)

Is the area around an emergency shower and eyewash considered a Wet Location?  If so, how far from the emergency shower does it extend?

I'm asking this because we were doing an ADA survey of some college campuses recently, and one of the team noticed that several emergency showers and eyewashes had receptacles near them, and asked if these receptacles need to have GFCI protection.


----------



## Msradell (Feb 24, 2017)

I'm not sure what the code actually states in the situation but I know in the industrial environment I used to work in we considered everything within a 10 foot radius around them to be a potential wet area and treated it accordingly.


----------



## north star (Feb 26, 2017)

*$ = $ = $*




> *"  ...and asked if these receptacles need to have GFCI protection."*


Paul, did you mean "need",  or "required" ?........It [ may ] be a good
idea to have them GFCI protected, but they are not required to be.
Neither the NEC or OSHA requires them to be.

*$ + $ + $*


----------



## Paul Sweet (Feb 27, 2017)

I agree that it's a good idea to have them GFCI protected.  I would just rather be able to say "NEC #### says they shall be protected." rather than "I think they should be protected."


----------



## north star (Feb 27, 2017)

*% ~ % ~ %*

The `17 NEC "requires" all indoor locations that are Wet Rated
to be GFCI protected, but no editions before that do.

From the `08 NEC, ...Wet Rated:
_"Installations underground or in concrete slabs or masonry in_
_direct contact with the earth; in locations subject to saturation_
_with water or other liquids, such as vehicle washing areas; and_
_in unprotected locations exposed to weather."_

*% ~ % ~ %*


----------



## Gregg Harris (Mar 14, 2017)

I would think in most scenarios involving emergency showers the wet location is a given, but depending on the eye wash station type a wet location would need to be declared by the building official or specifically noted in the installation manual/ UL listing


The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 was enacted to assure that workers are provided with “safe and healthful working conditions.” Under this law, the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration (OSHA) was created and authorized to adopt safety standards and regulations to fulfill the mandate of improving worker safety.

OSHA has adopted several regulations that refer to the use of emergency eyewash and shower equipment. The primary regulation is contained in 29 CFR 1910.151, which requires that...
“...where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body shall be provided within the work area for immediate emergency use.”

ANSI Z358.1

The OSHA regulation regarding emergency equipment is quite vague, in that it does not define what constitutes “suitable facilities” for drenching the eyes or body. In order to provide additional guidance to employers, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has established a standard covering emergency eyewash and shower equipment. This standard—ANSI Z358.1—is intended to serve as a guideline for the proper design, certification, performance, installation, use and maintenance of emergency equipment. As the most comprehensive guide to emergency showers and eyewashes, it has been adopted by many governmental health and safety organizations within and outside the US, as well as the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and International Plumbing Code (IPC). The ANSI standard is also part of the building code in locations that have adopted the International Plumbing Code. (IPC-Sec. 411)

ANSI Z358.1 was originally adopted in 1981. It was revised in 1990, 1998, 2004, 2009 and again in 2014. This Compliance Checklist summarizes and graphically presents the provisions of the 2014 version of the standard.


----------



## ADAguy (Mar 17, 2017)

Good Stuff, thank you.

Layer upon layer of regs gang; can't know them all but need to know where to seek answers gang? You can usually find them here.


----------



## Filthy McNasty (Apr 4, 2017)

It's not considered a wet location per NEC.


----------



## ADAguy (Apr 13, 2017)

Try these on:
NFPA 210.8
NFPA 70 - 406.9A

OSHA 1910.305E2

These from the U O Nebraska's research into outlets at moist locations.


----------



## Filthy McNasty (Apr 13, 2017)

OP said "near" eyewash station.  This is a dry location and all one has to do is go into NEC definitions.

Location, Dry. A location NOT NORMALLY subject to dampness or
wetness. A location classified as dry may be temporarily subject
to dampness or wetness, as in the case of a building under
construction. (CMP-1)

Location, Wet. Installations underground or in concrete slabs
or masonry in direct contact with the earth; in locations subject
to saturation with water or other liquids, such as vehicle wash‐
ing areas; and in unprotected locations exposed to weather.
(CMP-1)


It's not considered a wet location per NEC


----------



## ADAguy (Apr 13, 2017)

So which takes precedence, NFPA, NEC or OSHA when someone gets zapped?


----------



## Filthy McNasty (Apr 13, 2017)

Electrical installations in buildings would fall under NEC.  You could submit a proposal for the 2020, if you believe that what is being described in the original post a hazard.  Public input is open right now, until later this year.


----------



## Paul Sweet (Apr 14, 2017)

Thanks for everyone's input.  I understand the NEC doesn't consider emergency showers to be a wet location, but we will take the cautious approach and require GFI protection for outlets within 6 ft. of an emergency shower or eyewash in our new buildings (I'm an Owner's representative, not a code official).


----------



## north star (Apr 14, 2017)

*@ = @ = @*

Thanks Paul for the update !........Maybe we can put this topic
to rest now.  

*? * ? * ?*


----------

