OSHA's eyewash station requirements are one sentence: where anyone's eyes or body may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, you must provide "suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body" in the work area for immediate emergency use (29 CFR 1910.151(c)). OSHA sets no flow rate or distance.
For those details OSHA points to ANSI/ISEA Z358.1: flush both eyes at 1.5 liters (0.4 gallons) a minute for 15 minutes, reachable in about 10 seconds, with lukewarm water, activated weekly and inspected yearly.
What OSHA requires
The OSHA rule, 29 CFR 1910.151(c), reads: "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."
Three parts decide what you need:
- The trigger is corrosive materials. In a 2009 letter OSHA repeated that if none of the materials used in a work area is an injurious corrosive, an emergency eyewash is not required under this rule.
- "Suitable" is not defined in the rule. OSHA has said it is the employer's job to assess the conditions at each station, and that equipment meeting ANSI Z358.1 would usually meet the intent of the rule.
- "Within the work area for immediate emergency use" sets no distance. ANSI's 10-second guidance, below, is what OSHA's letters point to.
Eyewash station requirements for a dental office
Whether a dental office needs a station depends on its chemicals, not on being a dental office.
- Pull the safety data sheet for every chemical in the office. You should already have them for your hazard communication program.
- Read Section 2, hazard identification. Look for the hazard statements "Causes severe skin burns and eye damage" or "Causes serious eye damage". Both carry the signal word "Danger".
- Note where each one is used or poured, such as the sterilization area, the lab or the operatories.
- Put a suitable eyewash in each of those work areas. One station can serve more than one area if it meets the distance guidance below.
If no chemical in your office carries those statements, OSHA's rule does not require an eyewash. Recheck when you add a new product.
Blood and saliva splashes
OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard doesn't require an eyewash station. It requires staff to flush mucous membranes with water immediately or as soon as feasible after contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials, which includes saliva in dental procedures. In a 2020 letter OSHA said the intent is that blood is removed from the eyes, cited the ANSI flow rate, and said four-ounce eyewash bottles are not enough and sixteen-ounce bottles may not be either. An eyewash station is the practical way to meet that.
What ANSI Z358.1 says
ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 is a consensus standard, not an OSHA rule. OSHA has said it has not adopted it, does not enforce it, and refers employers to it as guidance. Any citation for an unsuitable eyewash is issued under 1910.151(c).
The main points for eyewashes in the 2014 edition:
| Topic | ANSI Z358.1 guidance |
|---|---|
| Flow | Flushing fluid to both eyes at the same time, at least 1.5 liters (0.4 gallons) per minute |
| Duration | Enough supply for 15 minutes of flushing |
| Hands-free | Once turned on, it stays on without the user holding it |
| Distance | Reachable in about 10 seconds (about 55 feet), on the same level as the hazard, with a clear path |
| Water temperature | Tepid: between 60°F and 100°F (15.5°C and 38°C) |
| Nozzles | Protected from airborne contaminants (dust caps) |
| Sign | A highly visible sign, in a well-lit area |
| Weekly | Plumbed units activated long enough to verify operation and that fluid is available; self-contained units checked to see if fluid needs changing |
| Yearly | Every unit inspected against the standard |
ANSI sells the standard, and we haven't reproduced its text. The figures above come from a U.S. Department of Energy contractor's summary of the 2014 edition, listed in the sources.
Eyewash bottles
ANSI treats personal squeeze bottles as supplementary support for a plumbed or self-contained unit, not a replacement. They can help on the way to a station.
Eyewash is not eye protection
OSHA said in 1982 that eyewash equipment is not a substitute for protective eyewear: eyewear prevents the injury, and the eyewash reduces the harm if eyewear fails. Your PPE hazard assessment still needs to cover eye and face protection.
Free weekly eyewash check log
Print one sheet per station and keep it next to the unit. It has a row for each weekly check: running the water until it is clear, flow to both eyes, caps and nozzles, a clear path and sign, and water temperature.
Weekly eyewash check log
complyday.com| Date | Ran until water was clear (plumbed) or fluid level and expiry OK (self-contained) | Flow reached both eyes | Caps on, nozzles clean | Path clear, sign visible | Water lukewarm | Initials | Problem found and fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mark each check Y or N. ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 calls for plumbed eyewashes to be activated weekly long enough to verify operation, self-contained units to be checked weekly, and all units to be inspected once a year. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. OSHA's rule is 29 CFR 1910.151(c).
Open the printable version or use the download button.
How to do the weekly check
- Run the unit. For a plumbed or faucet-mounted unit, turn it on and let it run long enough to flush out standing water and confirm it works. For a self-contained unit, check the fluid level, the expiry date and the seal, following the manufacturer's instructions.
- Watch the flow. Both streams should rise to a similar height and meet where both eyes would be.
- Check the caps and nozzles. Caps on, nozzles clean, no debris in the bowl.
- Check the access. Nothing stored in front of it, the sign visible, the light working.
- Feel the water. It should be lukewarm, not hot or cold.
- Write it down. Initial the row, and note any problem and how you fixed it.
Where eyewash fits in your OSHA plan
Eyewash is one line in the OSHA requirements for dental offices. The chemicals that trigger it are the ones in your hazard communication program, and staff learn where the eyewash is in their yearly OSHA training. To check it alongside everything else, use the dental OSHA compliance checklist.
ComplyDay writes your hazard communication program for your state and trains your team every year on their phones, with the records in one inspection binder.