Chemical Injury: The Hidden Risks In Emergency Response

Posted on Pulse by Larry Kilian

Suppose for a moment you have been injured in an automobile accident.  On your way to the nearest hospital in the ambulance you learn that you are being taken to an emergency ward that has a poor reputation for the quality of care…in fact, statistics showed victims taken to this hospital had only a 1 in 4 chance of receiving proper care. 

How would you feel – would you be happy with those odds?

I suspect not – but research shows that is exactly the odds of a victim of a chemical splash in a typical industrial facility being able to access an emergency shower or eyewash that is working properly and capable of providing proper first aid. Pretty dismal odds.   What is most suprising is that in all cases these facilities were conducting  weekly checks of their equipment as required by the ANSI Z384.1 Standard – yet despite these efforts, the equipment was not in good working order.

If you have not taken a close look at the “state or readiness” of our emergency equipment it is not too late. The first step is to know your current state of your equipment – to learn more about how you can go about doing that go to

https://www.hawsco.com/support/survey/

A detailed assessment by a qualified subject matter expert can help you see what often goes unseen – a critical step in addressing the hidden risks in emergency response and in mitigating risk.

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