Many sites, particularly in industries such as oil/gas and construction, may not have ready access to a clean potable water supply making the provision of Emergency Safety Showers and Eye/Facewash stations challenging.

ANSI recommended standards are clear about the parameters for the provision of showers in these environments, but in the absence of plumbed water or power supply to manage heating of water to the tempered levels required, the emergency shower manufacturers have developed portable solutions to help meet the immediate needs and guarantee worker safety in challenging environments.

These portable shower units provide proximity response within 10 seconds of a hazard and will drench water at 20 gallons per minute (76 liters) meeting some of the ANSI compliance guidelines. However, sites should still provide access to additional fully compliant showers offering 15 minutes of continuous water flow. These portable units are a first line of defence, offering rapid access for casualties that are proven to help reduce serious injury or damage to sight.

The benefits of portable units, such as those available in the Hughes STD-40K range, is that emergency response equipment can be quickly sited close to where operatives are working and moved, if necessary, as the job progresses.

The Standard STD-40K Mobile Self-Contained Emergency Safety Shower with eye/face wash has a capacity of 30 gallons (114 liters) and gives a constant flow of water for approximately 1½ minutes. The specially designed plastic lined cylinder is constantly charged with pressure and only requires the connection of a hose from a water main to fill it ready for use. Its compact design enables it to be easily stored when not in use. By incorporating a stainless steel frame and large diameter pneumatic tyres, this cylinder can be freely moved and manoeuvred by one person.

Designed for use where indoor or outdoor sites have acceptable ambient temperatures not requiring frost protection or heated water, the Standard STD-40K unit was first launched in 1997 in Europe and is the world’s biggest selling portable solution outside of the USA. It has proven a popular choice for construction sites across much of America since its introduction in 2006. In 2011 Hughes introduced the STD-H-40K, a trace tape heated and pre-insulated model for when ambient temperatures demand a heated solution and the STD-J-40K offering a jacketed version for frost protection. The 30 gallon mild steel cylinder is lined to avoid internal corrosion while the exterior is painted with acid resistant white enamel paint. Heated and jeated and jacketed versions benefit from a heavy duty polyethylene outer jacket and CFC FREE polyurethane insulation.

The unit can be fitted with the Hughes STD-45G Eye/Face Wash and the Hughes Optiflex handheld eye, face and body shower with flexible hose which all draw pressurized water from the specially designed cylinder providing the features of a full size shower in a small compact portable unit.

When full ANSI compliance is needed in a portable format – consider the Hughes Bowser 2000L.

For sites where no supplementary showers are available to support the tactical use of the ultra-portable STD-40K, site managers are turning to the larger 530 gallon (2000 Liter) Bowser designs which combine portability with full ANSI compliance.

The Hughes STD-MH-P-2000L Mobile Self-Contained Emergency Safety Shower has a capacity of 530 gallons and gives a constant flow of water for over 15 minutes. The green polyethylene tank incorporates an electric submersible pump which requires either a mains or generator-fed electricity supply to drive the water flow of 20 gallons per minute. An integral immersion heater, controlled by a dual safety thermostat, maintains the water in the tank at a constant temperature between 60-100⁰F. These combined features plus the ability to site the Bowser within 10 seconds of a potential hazard confirm ANSI compliance in a portable solution.

The tank can be filled with potable water by hose and then transported to location behind a suitable motor vehicle using the standard ball type towing hitch provided. It is designed to enable it to be easily stored when not in use. The tank is mounted on a heavy-duty galvanised mild steel frame and has four braked wheels fitted with standard trailer-type pneumatic tyres.

Hughes Safety Showers provide Emergency Decontamination equipment across the USA with manufacture, assembly and sales offices, supported by a network of distribution partners and presence in the latest 2016 Grainger catalog.

For further information about our wider range of products please visit www.hughes-safety-showers.com or call Hughes North America on (1) 866 312 1652.