EN 15154-2 sets the requirements for plumbed-in eyewash units. The eye is far more vulnerable to chemical injury than skin — an alkali penetrates the cornea within seconds and causes irreversible damage.
Key requirements
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Flow rate | ≥ 6 l/min |
| Duration | ≥ 15 minutes uninterrupted |
| Temperature | 15 – 37 °C |
| Stream | Gentle, covering both eyes simultaneously |
| Activation | One action, stays open until closed |
Correct use
- The eyelids must be held open with the fingers — the blink reflex otherwise prevents flushing.
- Flush from the inner corner outwards, so the substance is not carried into the other eye.
- Contact lenses must be removed — but flushing must not be interrupted to do it.
- At least 15 minutes; for alkalis, 30 minutes or more.
Portable eyewash bottles (EN 15154-4) are useful on mobile work but do not replace a plumbed-in unit — their volume cannot sustain a 15-minute flush.