Portable Eyewash on Construction Sites: Compliance Without Plumbing

Short answer: The 10-second access and 15-minute flush requirements apply on temporary sites too. Without plumbing, that means gravity-fed units sized for a genuine 15-minute delivery, positioned per work front, and maintained on a refill schedule someone actually owns.

What "compliant" means without a water line

A gravity-fed unit holds its own flushing fluid and delivers it by head pressure. To meet the standard it must still:

• Deliver a 15-minute flush at the rated flow

• Activate hands-free in one second or less

• Be reachable within 10 seconds of the hazard

• Hold fluid at a tepid temperature where practical

• Be inspected and refilled on a defined schedule

The 15-minute figure is the one that separates a real unit from a bottle. A 5-litre tank cannot deliver 15 minutes at an eyewash flow rate, however convenient it looks on a site cart.

Positioning on a moving site

On a fixed plant, hazard zones are stable. On a construction site they move weekly. Practical approach:

Mark the units on the site plan and update the plan when the front moves. A unit that exists but is two compounds away does not satisfy the access rule.

Fluid management is the failure point

Portable units fail on maintenance, not on design. Three things go wrong: the tank runs low and nobody notices, the fluid sits past its change interval, and the unit freezes overnight in winter.

A simple control set works: a tag on the unit showing the last refill date, a named person per compound responsible for the weekly check, and a spare filled tank so a swap takes two minutes instead of an hour.

Cold weather

Outdoor units freeze. Options are a heated cabinet, an indoor location with the unit carried to the work front, or a formulation rated for the temperature range - only where the manufacturer specifies it, since altering the fluid can void the unit's compliance.

Frequently asked questions

Can a portable unit replace a plumbed one permanently?

Where no supply exists, it may be the only option. In a permanent facility, plumbed equipment is more reliable and easier to maintain.

How often must the tank be refilled?

Follow the manufacturer's interval, and check the level at every weekly activation. Record both.

Does the unit need a drain connection?

No, but it needs a plan for the water. A 15-minute flush on a walkway creates a slip hazard next to a chemical hazard.

What about eye wash bottles in vehicles?

Useful as a supplement during transport. They do not replace a station at the work front.

Equipping a temporary site

Our portable eyewash range covers gravity-fed units for sites without plumbing, and wall-mounted units suit site offices and containerised welfare units where a supply is available.

Sources: ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014 access, duration and activation requirements; CCOHS guidance on emergency eyewash equipment.