Case Study
An Environmental Health and Safety Engineer for one of the world’s largest manufacturers of specialty metals and chemicals, Jason Desler evaluates potential hazards to employees that are inherent in a metal manufacturing facility. Caustic chemicals, extreme furnace heat, and highly corrosive gases present serious health and safety challenges that must be addressed.
Desler set out to devise a plan with safety shower and emergency eyewash solutions for multiple metal manufacturing facilities that met OSHA’s safety standard (29CFR1910.151) requiring employers to provide facilities for quick drenching or flushing upon employee exposure, as well as the ANSI Z358.1 drenching standard that specifies that emergency showers deliver tepid water at a minimum of 20 GPM for at least 15 minutes.
Challenges
Remote Location. Facilities are located 70 miles from an emergent care facility.
Large Scale Project. There were power and water distribution challenges, as well as utility cost concerns:
- 13 structures over 180 acres of desert
- safety shower and eyewash fixtures every 45 to 55 feet throughout facilities
- continuous supply of tepid water on demand to over 100 specified fixtures
Extreme Conditions. Safety shower performance is affected by high-desert environments where temperatures range from sub-zero to above tepid water standards.
Cost. The solution must provide an energy-efficient and cost-effective solution without compromising
worker safety.
Solution
With the help of Keltech’s engineers, Desler specified shower and eyewash fixtures paired with Keltech CLE (emergency eyewash) and SN (safety shower) heaters.
Now, with 116 safety shower and emergency eyewash heaters, fixtures, and integrated systems installed, employees have access to safety fixtures every 45 to 55 feet in and around the 13 facilities.
Keltech Tankless Water Heaters
Bradley’s Keltech Tankless Water Heaters deliver instantaneous ANSI-required tepid water to emergency safety showers and eye/face washes. Drawing energy only when needed, Keltech water heaters are designed to be highly efficient and precise to supply tepid water immediately—even in the most extreme and challenging work environments.
Installation of these units is very easy since only one electrical connection and a cold water line are needed, saving labor time and additional costs. Utility costs are minimized because there is no need to keep a 300-gallon tank heated at all times. Plus, Keltech units are precision-engineered for long-lasting optimal performance.
Results
Desler and his manufacturing facilities met the OSHA standard with an ANSI-compliant tankless water heating solution, saving his company $349,000 annually in reduced energy costs.
“We specified Keltech water heaters for many reasons, including:
- minimal cost to operate for the safety value provided
- price per unit
- delivery availability and flexibility
- cost-benefit analysis versus a hot water loop system
- potential energy tax benefits
- customer service availability and support
- engineering support during our plant design
“These were all value-added tasks that didn’t cost my company anything, but all-the-while provided a substantial element of efficiency, comfort, and a well-thoughtout, plantwide tepid water safety shower system.”
