Does anyone have a clear understanding of the requirements for personal eyewash systems, for bottled eye wash stations in particular?  I have some bottles which have an expiration date, some which do not, some that come filled with a sterile solution and sealed, and some bottles that arrive empty, to be filled with a solution from another container.  Since some of the bottles are unlabelled I'm led to believe that there is no required replacement based on expiration.  And I'd rather replace when it's appropriate, not just when regulations say so.  Suggestions?

 

Not sure how clear my understanding is but I have a few of the pieces. It depends on the type bottle and the solution you use in the bottle. Many bottles that come sealed are throw-aways. Once the seal is broken they are to be discarded and replaced. They are not refillable. These are also to be replaced at the expiration date.

For refillable bottles, it depends on what you use. You can use straight tap water if you refill them weekly. If you use tap water and a preservative, you will need to follow the manufacturer's recommendations. You may need to test for bacteria before you try to stretch it to the maximum recommended. You can also purchase the solution. Follow the manufacturer's recommendation for this. The replacement frequency varies.

A common practice used to be to use distilled water and sterilize the bottles when refilling. Refill intervals for this was monthly. I can't seem to find a reference to back this up right now, but it makes sense when compared to the weekly interval for straight tap water.

We have gone to the factory sealed bottles. The man-hours are too valuable to spend them refilling bottles.

 

My inclination is to use factory sealed and this has been my practice in the past.  When I came across some of the other types I realized I had never looked into the differences.  Thanks for the clarification.