Your eye wash station is not decoration. It’s not a box to tick on a compliance checklist. It’s a piece of emergency equipment that could save someone’s eyesight — but only if it works when they need it.
And here’s the problem. Most businesses install their eye wash stations, check the box, and forget about them. Months go by. Sometimes years. Nobody flushes the system. Nobody checks the water pressure. Nobody inspects the nozzles. And then one day, a worker gets a chemical splash in the face, runs to the station, activates it — and nothing comes out. Or worse, stagnant, contaminated water comes out.
That’s a nightmare scenario. And it happens more often than anyone wants to admit.
Regular inspection and maintenance of your eye wash station is not optional. It’s a legal requirement, it’s a moral obligation, and it’s one of the simplest things you can do to protect your workers. Let me walk you through exactly how often to do it and what to check.
Why Regular Inspection Is Non-Negotiable
An eye wash station that doesn’t work is worse than not having one at all. And I mean that seriously.
If your workers know there’s a station on site, they expect it to work. They’ll plan to use it in an emergency. They’ll run to it. And if it fails — if the water is contaminated, the pressure is too low, or the activation handle is stuck — they’ve wasted precious seconds that could have made the difference between a full recovery and permanent eye damage.
Stagnant water in the supply lines can breed bacteria, including Legionella. Dust and debris can block nozzles. Valves can seize from lack of use. Connections can corrode. These are all problems that regular inspection catches and prevents.
The rule is simple: if you’ve got an eye wash station, you’ve got to inspect it. No exceptions.
What the South African Regulations Say
South African occupational health and safety legislation requires employers to provide emergency washing facilities where workers may be exposed to hazardous chemicals. The standard to follow is SANS 10265, which is based on the international ANSI Z358.1 standard.
These standards specify that plumbed eye wash stations must be activated weekly to flush the supply lines and verify operation. That’s a weekly requirement — not monthly, not quarterly, not whenever you feel like it.
Portable eye wash stations have their own requirements around fluid replacement and expiry dates, which I’ll cover further down.
If you’re not meeting these inspection frequencies, you’re out of compliance. And if an incident occurs and your inspection records show gaps, you’re going to have a very difficult conversation with the Department of Labour.
Weekly Inspections — What to Check
A weekly inspection takes about five minutes. That’s it. Five minutes a week to make sure your emergency equipment is ready.
Water Flow and Pressure
Activate the station and let it run for at least three minutes. This flushes out stagnant water from the supply lines and replaces it with fresh water.
While it’s running, check the flow. The water should come out in a steady, even pattern from both nozzles. It should be strong enough to flush debris and chemicals from the eyes, but not so forceful that it causes pain or pushes contaminants deeper.
If the flow is weak, uneven, or only coming from one nozzle, you’ve got a problem that needs fixing before someone needs to use the station.
Check the temperature too. The water should be tepid — between 16 and 38 degrees Celsius. Water that’s too cold causes shock and makes it hard for the person to keep flushing. Water that’s too hot can cause burns on already damaged tissue.
Cleanliness of the Nozzles and Bowl
Look at the nozzles and the bowl. Are they clean? Is there dust, dirt, insect debris, or buildup on the nozzle covers or in the bowl?
Contaminated nozzles can introduce bacteria and debris directly into an injured person’s eyes. That’s the last thing you want during an emergency.
Clean the nozzles and bowl regularly. Make sure the dust covers are in place and functioning. If the station is in a dusty environment, you may need to clean more often than once a week.
Accessibility and Signage
Is the path to the station clear? Can someone reach it within 10 seconds of a chemical splash? Is the signage visible and in good condition?
I’ve seen eye wash stations blocked by pallets, boxes, equipment, and in one case, someone’s personal belongings. If a worker can’t get to the station in an emergency, it might as well not be there.
The signage should be high-visibility — bright green with a white cross or eye symbol. It should be visible from at least 10 metres away, and it should be mounted above the station so it can be spotted even if the area is cluttered. If your signage has faded, been covered up, or fallen off, replace it.
The area directly in front of the station should be kept clear at all times. Mark the floor with paint or tape if you need to — a one-metre clearance zone around the station that everyone knows must stay empty.
Check this every week. Make it part of the routine. If anything is blocking the station or the path to it, move it immediately.
Monthly Maintenance Tasks
Once a month, go a bit deeper than the weekly check.
Flushing the System
Your weekly flush keeps the water fresh in the immediate supply lines. A monthly flush should be longer — run the station for a full five minutes to clear the entire feed line back to the supply point.
If your station is connected to a long run of pipework, stagnant water can sit in sections of the line that a short flush doesn’t reach. A monthly long flush takes care of this.
Checking for Damage or Wear
Inspect the entire station for physical damage. Look at the bowl, the nozzles, the mounting bracket, the supply lines, and any valves or connections. Check for cracks, corrosion, leaks, or loose fittings.
If the station is wall-mounted, make sure the mounting is secure. If it’s free-standing, check that it’s stable and not going to tip over during use.
Any damage, no matter how minor it looks, should be repaired or the station should be replaced. You don’t want to find out that a fitting is loose when someone is trying to flush acid out of their eyes.
Testing Activation Mechanisms
The activation mechanism — whether it’s a push plate, a pull handle, or a foot pedal — needs to work smoothly and stay open on its own. The user needs both hands to hold their eyes open during flushing. They can’t be using one hand to keep the station running.
Test the activation every month. It should engage easily with one hand or one foot. It should stay on without the user holding it. If it sticks, if it’s stiff, or if it doesn’t stay open, fix it.
Annual Inspections — Going Deeper
Once a year, do a full inspection of the entire system. This should ideally be done by a qualified person — either your health and safety officer or a service provider who specialises in emergency safety equipment.
An annual inspection should cover everything in the weekly and monthly checks, plus a full assessment of the plumbing connections, the water supply quality, the condition of internal components, and compliance with SANS 10265 / ANSI Z358.1 requirements.
Check the water quality. If the supply water has high mineral content, you might see scale buildup inside the valves and nozzles. If the water supply has been treated with chemicals that could irritate the eyes, that needs to be addressed.
Test the flow rate against the standard requirements. A plumbed eye wash station should deliver at least 1.5 litres per minute to each eye — that’s 3 litres per minute total — for a full 15 minutes. If your station can’t sustain that flow, there’s a problem with the supply or the internal components.
Review the location of the station. Has anything changed in the facility since the last annual inspection? Has new equipment been installed that blocks the path? Has the chemical handling area moved? If so, the station might need to be relocated.
Document this inspection thoroughly. Keep the records on file. You may need to produce them during an audit or after an incident.
Portable Eye Wash Stations — Different Rules
Portable eye wash stations — the self-contained units that don’t connect to plumbing — are great for remote sites, vehicles, or areas where plumbed water isn’t available. But they have their own maintenance requirements.
Checking Fluid Expiry Dates
Portable stations use sealed saline solution or purified water with a preservative. This fluid has an expiry date. Once it expires, the preservative breaks down and the fluid can become contaminated.
Check expiry dates monthly. If the fluid is approaching its expiry, replace it. Don’t wait until it’s expired and hope for the best.
Replacing Cartridges and Bottles
When the fluid is used — even partially — or when it expires, the cartridge or bottle needs to be replaced. Keep spares on hand so you can swap them out immediately.
If a portable station gets used during an incident, replace the cartridge straight away. Don’t leave it half-empty and assume it’ll be enough for the next emergency.
Common Inspection Mistakes That Put Workers at Risk
These are the mistakes I see most often, and every one of them is avoidable.
Not flushing weekly. This is the single biggest failure. If you’re not flushing, the water in the lines is stagnant and potentially contaminated.
Not documenting inspections. If it’s not recorded, it didn’t happen — at least as far as an inspector is concerned.
Blocking access to the station. Storage, equipment, and general clutter end up blocking the path or the station itself.
Not training workers on where stations are or how to use them. Your team should know the location of every eye wash station on site and how to activate them. If they don’t, that’s a training gap that needs to be closed.
Not replacing expired fluid in portable units. Expired solution can cause more harm than good. Replace it on time, every time.
Ignoring minor damage. A small crack, a loose fitting, a stiff handle — these small problems become big problems during an emergency.
Creating an Eye Wash Station Inspection Log
Keep a log at each station. It doesn’t need to be complicated. A simple sheet that records the date of each inspection, what was checked, what was found, and who did the inspection.
Include columns for water flow, water temperature, nozzle cleanliness, activation mechanism test, accessibility, and any issues found. If an issue was found, record what action was taken and when.
This log is your proof of compliance. It shows that you’re taking the maintenance of your eye wash stations seriously. Keep it up to date, and keep copies for your records.
When to Replace Your Eye Wash Station Entirely
Eye wash stations don’t last forever. Here are the signs that it’s time for a new one.
The bowl or body is cracked, corroded, or structurally compromised.
The nozzles are damaged and can’t be replaced.
The activation mechanism is unreliable even after repair.
The station no longer meets current standards.
The station has been recalled by the manufacturer.
Parts are no longer available.
When it’s time to replace, don’t drag your feet. Your workers’ safety is not something to gamble with. Get a new station installed, test it, train your team on it, and start your inspection schedule from day one.
An eye wash station that’s inspected, maintained, and ready to go is one of the most important pieces of safety equipment in any workplace that handles chemicals. Five minutes a week is all it takes to keep it in working order. There’s no excuse for not doing it.