Employees in several industries, including the industrial and pharmaceutical sectors, regularly work with chemicals that could potentially harm their eyes. Research laboratories, research universities and chemical plants are all examples of facilities in dire need of reliable eye wash stations. Eye safely doesn't stop at selecting the right eye wash station. Facilities must ensure that the water delivered by an eyewash station flows at the right temperature and pressure. Thankfully, this compliance process can be simplified by investing in the right tankless water heater.

Meet compliance
The American National Standards Institute defines the guidelines for eye wash performance in a work environment. Contractors and building managers can look under the subheading for ANSI Z358.1 for information specifically regarding eyewash stations, emergency showers and hybrid stations. The statute specifically outlines minimum performance standards for any eyewash station used as an emergency treatment for an employee who has been exposed to hazardous materials. The safety needs of a lab or warehouse are constantly changing, so companies can avoid compliance problems by performing an annual safely evaluation, recommends the Supply House Times. Any opportunity for an employee to come in contact with a hazardous material can be negated by installing compliant eye wash stations in these high-risk areas.

Protect employees
Diligence and focus are required to stay safe in a dangerous work environment. Companies can work to mitigate these risks by providing safely supplies and training to employees. For instance, the American Optometric Association warns that 60 percent of employees with eye injuries were not wearing their eye protection when these injuries occurred. This statistic stresses the need for companies to take these safety risks seriously, and to encourage an employee culture that likewise prioritizes eye care.

One way that a company can demonstrate it's in eye safely is to upgrade the facility's wash stations with tankless water heaters. Compact tankless models, like those from Eemax, can be installed directly at the point of use. These units feature temperature control accurate to a single degree, so employees are never in danger of eye wash station water that is too hot or too cold.

Reduce costs
There are several ways that the addition of a tankless water heater would help to reduce eye wash station costs. Tankless water heaters are often installed at point-of-use to maximize efficiency. For instance, adding a tankless water heater to act as a bathroom's temperature booster is less expensive than replacing a full set of aging appliances. A tankless water heater could help a building to cut down on its water costs as well. By reducing the distance that hot water has to flow across a building, the building also cuts down the total gallons of water consumed by the building. Lastly, high end tankless water heaters boast high thermal efficiency. This feature ensures that up to 99 percent of energy consumed by the appliance is converted into usable energy.