Eyewash Station Inspection Checklist & Weekly Log
Short answer: this page gives you two free printables — a one-page inspection checklist and a weekly activation log — for emergency eyewash stations. Each checklist item is marked as either an OSHA requirement or an Z358.1 practice. That distinction matters: OSHA's rule, 29 CFR 1910.151(c), requires suitable flushing facilities but does not set a testing schedule. The weekly activation and annual inspection come from the consensus standard ANSI/ISEA Z358.1, which OSHA refers employers to for guidance. For when a station is required in the first place, and the access and flushing rules, see emergency eyewash and safety shower requirements.
The PDF is three US Letter pages: the inspection checklist, then weeks 1–26 and 27–52 of the activation log. Print one log per unit. Free, no signup.
1. Eyewash station inspection checklist
Location: ______________________ Unit ID: __________ Inspected by: ______________ Date: __________
OSHA = required by the regulation itself. Z358.1 = from the ANSI/ISEA Z358.1 consensus standard, as ISEA publicly summarizes it; OSHA does not enforce Z358.1 as a standard, but may refer to it when judging whether facilities are “suitable”. Mfr = follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
A. Is a station required, and is it there?
- OSHA A station is provided wherever the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials — check Section 2 of each product’s SDS for skin corrosion or serious eye damage.
- OSHA It is within the work area and available for immediate emergency use — not in a locked room, another building, or a supervisor’s office.
B. Access, signage and location
- Z358.1 Access / obstruction: the path from the hazard is clear — no carts, pallets, boxes or stored product — and the unit can be reached within 10 seconds (ISEA puts this at about 55 feet).
- Z358.1 The unit is on the same level as the hazard and the area around it is well lit.
- Z358.1 Signage: a highly visible sign identifies the station.
- Z358.1 Mfr Height / location: installed per the manufacturer’s instructions and positioned to deliver flushing fluid in the required pattern. Exact mounting heights and clearances: per ANSI/ISEA Z358.1; check the current edition.
C. Function
- Z358.1 Flow / activation: the valve opens in 1 second or less and stays open without the user’s hands; an eyewash flushes both eyes at once; flow meets the requirement for the equipment type (ISEA’s guide cites a 0.4 gpm minimum for a plumbed eyewash).
- Z358.1 Water temperature: the delivered fluid is tepid — ISEA’s guide gives 60–100°F (16–38°C). Cold supplies and outdoor units usually need tempered water.
- Z358.1 Caps and covers: nozzles are protected from airborne contaminants; dust covers are in place and come off when water flows; the bowl is clean.
- Z358.1 Flushing duration: the unit can deliver a continuous 15-minute flush (for self-contained units, the reservoir is full).
D. Maintenance and records
- Z358.1 Weekly: each plumbed unit is activated long enough to verify operation and flush stagnant water from the supply line, and the activation is logged.
- Z358.1 Mfr Self-contained fluid expiry: the unit is visually inspected per the manufacturer; the fluid or cartridge is within its expiry date (write it on the log) and was replaced after any use.
- Z358.1 Annual: every unit, plumbed and self-contained, gets a full inspection against the standard at least once a year, and the result is recorded.
- Z358.1 Any drench hose or personal wash bottle is treated as supplemental, not as the station itself, unless it contains a fully compliant eyewash.
E. Training
- OSHA HazCom training covers the measures employees can take to protect themselves, including emergency procedures (29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(iii)) — for corrosives, that means the eyewash.
- Z358.1 Employees who could be exposed know where the nearest unit is, can operate it without looking, and know to flush for the full 15 minutes.
2. Weekly eyewash activation log
Print one sheet per unit, or download the PDF for a full year (52 weeks). For self-contained units, use the notes column for the fluid’s expiry or replacement date.
| Week | Date | Initials | Flushed clear Y / N | Notes / corrective action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Y / N | |||
| 2 | Y / N | |||
| 3 | Y / N | |||
| 4 | Y / N | |||
| 5 | Y / N | |||
| 6 | Y / N | |||
| 7 | Y / N | |||
| 8 | Y / N | |||
| 9 | Y / N | |||
| 10 | Y / N | |||
| 11 | Y / N | |||
| 12 | Y / N | |||
| 13 | Y / N |
Annual inspection completed (date / by): ______________________ Reviewed by: ______________________
3. The legal basis, stated carefully
The regulation. 29 CFR 1910.151(c) reads, in full: “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.” That sentence is the whole federal requirement. It says nothing about weekly testing, annual inspections, distances, temperatures or flushing time.
Where the schedule comes from. Weekly activation and annual inspection are practices from ANSI/ISEA Z358.1, the consensus standard for emergency eyewash and shower equipment. OSHA has said plainly that it has not adopted Z358.1 and does not enforce it, but that it “has often referred employers to ANSI Z358.1 as a recognized source of guidance” and would take it into consideration when evaluating the adequacy of protection. If facilities are unsuitable, OSHA cites 1910.151(c) itself, and in deciding suitability it “may refer to the most recent consensus standard.” So a missing weekly log is not, by itself, a violation of a numbered OSHA rule — but a clogged, empty, blocked or untested unit is the kind of evidence that makes a facility unsuitable, and the log is how you show yours is not.
Edition. ISEA’s site lists ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014 (R2020) as the standard. The figures on this page (10 seconds / about 55 feet, 15 minutes, tepid 60–100°F, 1-second valve, 0.4 gpm) are as ISEA publicly summarizes that edition; we do not reproduce the standard’s text. Mounting heights, nozzle and spray-pattern dimensions and test-gauge procedures are per ANSI/ISEA Z358.1; check the current edition. Some State Plan states and local plumbing codes add their own rules.
- eCFR, 29 CFR 1910.151 — current text of paragraph (c), quoted above.
- OSHA letter of interpretation, March 28, 2002 — Z358.1 not adopted by OSHA; OSHA has often referred employers to it as a recognized source of guidance and would take it into consideration.
- OSHA letter of interpretation, November 1, 2002 — OSHA does not enforce Z358.1; unsuitable facilities are cited under 1910.151(c); OSHA may refer to the most recent consensus standard.
- eCFR, 29 CFR 1910.1200(h)(3)(iii) — HazCom training must cover protective measures including emergency procedures.
- ISEA, Emergency Eyewash & Shower — names ANSI/ISEA Z358.1-2014 (R2020) as the standard.
- ISEA, Selection, Installation & Use Guide — weekly activation of plumbed units, annual inspection of all units, self-contained visual checks per manufacturer, 10 seconds (~55 ft), 15-minute flush, tepid 60–100°F, 1-second valve, nozzle covers, drench hoses as supplemental.
4. How SDSentry helps
SDSentry does not log eyewash activations — use the sheet above for that. What it does is the chemical side that decides whether you need a station and whether your people know what to do:
- Which products trigger 1910.151(c). Your per-location SDS library shows each product’s GHS pictograms, so the corrosives stand out without re-reading every sheet.
- Training that names the eyewash. Each product’s training sheet includes eye-contact first aid (“go to the eyewash station immediately”, flush for at least 15 minutes), and the quiz asks it.
- Records that hold up. Employees acknowledge training with a typed e-signature, and Inspection Mode assembles the written program, inventory, SDS status and training records into one packet for an inspector.
Frequently asked questions
Does OSHA require weekly eyewash station testing?
Not in its own words. OSHA's rule, 29 CFR 1910.151(c), requires suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body within the work area for immediate emergency use where the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials. It does not set a testing schedule. Weekly activation of plumbed units and an annual inspection of all units come from the consensus standard ANSI/ISEA Z358.1. OSHA has not adopted Z358.1, but its letters of interpretation say it has often referred employers to Z358.1 as a recognized source of guidance and may refer to the most recent consensus standard when judging whether facilities are suitable.
How often should an eyewash station be inspected?
Under ANSI/ISEA Z358.1, as summarized in ISEA's public selection and use guide: plumbed units are activated weekly, long enough to verify operation and flush stagnant water from the supply line; self-contained units are visually inspected per the manufacturer's instructions to see whether the flushing fluid needs changing; and every unit gets a full inspection at least annually, with results recorded. Check the current edition of the standard and your manufacturer's instructions.
What should an eyewash station inspection log include?
The unit's location and type (plumbed, self-contained, drench hose or combination), the week or date of each activation, the initials of the person who did it, whether the water ran clear, and any problem found with the corrective action taken. For self-contained units, record the flushing fluid's expiry or replacement date. Keep the annual inspection record alongside the weekly log.
Do self-contained eyewash stations need weekly activation?
Weekly activation is the Z358.1 practice for plumbed units, where its purpose is to clear stagnant water from the supply line. Self-contained units are instead visually inspected and their flushing fluid changed or supplemented as the manufacturer's instructions specify, and they are included in the annual inspection. Follow the manufacturer's schedule and replace the fluid before its expiry date.
Is a drench hose a substitute for an eyewash station?
Generally not. ISEA's guide describes a drench hose as a supplemental device that supports a compliant eyewash or drench shower but does not replace it, unless the drench hose itself contains an eye or eye/face wash that meets all the Z358.1 performance requirements.
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