Member Article

Haws Corporation on Pulp and Paper Mill Upgrades

One of the leading manufacturers of corrugated and consumer packaging in North America is committed to exceeding expectations for both its customers and its more than 15,000 employees throughout all facets of the organization.

When a new site safety manager joined the organization, he suspected there were issues with the plant’s emergency response equipment, particularly safety showers and eyewashes.

Following a thorough review of Haws safety shower and eyewash survey results, the safety manager purchased 40 AXION Advantage™ kits to retrofit the majority of the plant’s existing showers and eyewashes, which included product from a variety of companies.

Background

One of the leading manufacturers of corrugated and consumer packaging in North America is committed to exceeding expectations for both its customers and its more than 15,000 employees throughout all facets of the organization. Because the modern pulp and paper mill uses a complex series of processes and technologies, ensuring the safety of workers in its manufacturing facilities – which can be found in North and South America – is always a priority.

Objective

When a new site safety manager joined the organization, he suspected there were issues with the Plant’s emergency response equipment, particularly safety showers and eyewashes. After attending a

Haws® presentation at an annual North American safety meeting, he invited Haws to conduct an onsite

ANSI emergency shower and eyewash survey, which revealed that just 3% of the facility’s 60+ units were compliant with ANSI Z358.1 Standard. A full 81% were categorized as non-compliant due to multiple violations including significant performance issues and/or improper installation.

Solution

Following a thorough review of Haws safety shower and eyewash survey results, the safety manager purchased 40 AXION Advantage™ kits to retrofit the majority of the plant’s existing showers and eyewashes, which included product from a variety of companies. The AXION technology solved the common problems associated with owning and maintaining emergency equipment, including an overabundance of flow, lack of simultaneous flow to the eyewash heads when the shower is activated, and uneven flow pattern. He also liked that AXION aligned with standard medical protocols for effective eye flushing. AXION is the only product on the market with a revolutionary inverted flow design, giving it superior response capabilities consistent with emergency room procedures and maximum victim comfort.

Result

The AXION Advantage kits solved the flow issues at the plant and brought 95% of its units into compliance, with the remainder waiting on piping adjustments. The single-head design for greater flow reliability was key, and the plant has adopted a standard specification based on the innovative AXION technology. The staff described the Haws shower and eyewash survey as “completely effective” and “extremely useful” in terms of helping them understand the state of their facility’s emergency equipment and greatly improving its level of compliance with ANSI Z358.1 requirements.

About

AXION’s groundbreaking technology continues to change the emergency response landscape by offering the only eye/face wash duplicating the methodology recommended and used by medical professionals. The AXION MSR eye/face wash and shower provide superior safety technology for use in labs, schools and healthcare offices and are available in a variety of configurations and retrofit options. All AXION MSR products are certified by CSA to meet ANSI Z358.1

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lorina Reyes .