Free checklist · Safety equipment
Eyewash station weekly inspection checklist (free, printable)
Once a week, activate each plumbed eyewash long enough to flush the line, and check the water runs clear, both streams rise evenly, the dust caps come off, and it stays on hands-free. Check the station is unobstructed, signed, lit and close to the hazard. For self-contained units, check the fluid level and expiry date instead. The weekly test comes from ANSI Z358.1, not OSHA's text.
- How often
- Weekly
- The rule
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151(c)
- Items
- 15 checks
- Takes
- About 4 minutes
By the CheckBadges team · Updated
Layout
Eyewash station weekly inspection checklist
Weekly
| Item | OK | Problem | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location and access | |||
| Clear pathNothing blocking the route or the unit; no locked doors on the way. | |||
| Close to the hazardSame level as the hazard and reachable in 10 seconds or less. | |||
| SignHighly visible sign at the station. | |||
| LightingStation well lit. | |||
| Plumbed unit: weekly activation | |||
| Dust capsOn the heads, and come off when the water starts. | |||
| ActivationOpens with one movement and stays on hands-free. | |||
| FlowBoth streams rise evenly and are enough to flush both eyes. | |||
| Water clearRuns clear after flushing; no rust, sediment or odor. | |||
| Water temperatureTepid: comfortable, not cold and not hot. | |||
| Minutes flushedHow long you ran it. | ________ minutes | ||
| Shut-off and drainCloses fully with no drips; water drains away, no pooling. | |||
| Self-contained unit | |||
| Fluid levelFull to the line; seals intact. | |||
| Fluid expiry dateFluid or cartridge within its date. | |||
| Unit conditionNo cracks or leaks; cover in place. | |||
| Personal eyewash bottlesSealed and in date. | |||
Problems found and action taken:
If anything is a problem, don't use the machine: tag it out and report it. Free checklist from checkbadges.com — put it on a QR sticker and operators can fill it in on their phone.
What to check on an eyewash station, item by item
Location and access
- Clear path — Nothing blocking the route or the unit; no locked doors on the way.
- Close to the hazard — Same level as the hazard and reachable in 10 seconds or less.
- Sign — Highly visible sign at the station.
- Lighting — Station well lit.
Plumbed unit: weekly activation
- Dust caps — On the heads, and come off when the water starts.
- Activation — Opens with one movement and stays on hands-free.
- Flow — Both streams rise evenly and are enough to flush both eyes.
- Water clear — Runs clear after flushing; no rust, sediment or odor.
- Water temperature — Tepid: comfortable, not cold and not hot.
- Minutes flushed — How long you ran it. (reading, in minutes)
- Shut-off and drain — Closes fully with no drips; water drains away, no pooling.
Self-contained unit
- Fluid level — Full to the line; seals intact.
- Fluid expiry date — Fluid or cartridge within its date.
- Unit condition — No cracks or leaks; cover in place.
- Personal eyewash bottles — Sealed and in date.
How often an eyewash station has to be inspected
Plumbed eyewash units are activated weekly and every unit gets a fuller inspection once a year, under the consensus standard; OSHA's own text sets no frequency. OSHA's rule is one sentence: "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" (29 CFR 1910.151(c)).
What counts as "suitable" comes from ANSI Z358.1. OSHA hasn't adopted it, so it doesn't enforce it as a standard, but it has "often referred employers to ANSI Z358.1 as a recognized source of guidance" and may refer to the most recent consensus standard when deciding whether a station is suitable (OSHA letter, November 1, 2002). ANSI Z358.1, the consensus standard OSHA points employers to, calls for plumbed eyewash units to be activated weekly and for all units to be inspected annually.
Here's what the standard asks of the unit, as OSHA itself describes it:
| What | ANSI Z358.1, as described by OSHA |
|---|---|
| Flow | Not less than 0.4 gallons (1.5 liters) per minute |
| Duration | 15 minutes |
| Operation | A single movement, then hands-free |
| Temperature | Tepid |
| Location | Same level as the hazard, reachable in no more than 10 seconds |
Sources: OSHA InfoSheet 3818 and OSHA letter, October 18, 2010. On temperature, OSHA says it's the employer's job to assess conditions such as water temperature so the unit protects against the chemicals in use (OSHA letter, April 18, 2002).
The weekly flush isn't a formality. OSHA warns that water in poorly maintained stations can carry organisms such as Acanthamoeba, Pseudomonas and Legionella, and that an injured eye is more susceptible to infection.
How to do the check
- Put a bucket or drain pan under the unit if it has no drain.
- Check the route, sign and lighting on your way to it.
- Activate it with one movement and let go: it should stay on.
- Watch the caps come off and the streams rise. Both should be even and gentle enough to hold your eyes in.
- Let it run until the water is clear, for as long as the manufacturer's instructions say. Put a hand in the stream to check it's tepid.
- Shut it off and check for drips and pooling.
- For self-contained units, check the fluid level, seals and expiry date instead of activating them.
- Record the date, your initials and how long you ran it.
The defects that take it out of service
| Defect | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| Access blocked or sign missing | An injured person with closed eyes can't find or reach it |
| Dust caps missing | Dirt in the heads gets flushed into an injured eye |
| Weak, uneven or no flow | It can't flush both eyes for 15 minutes |
| Water discolored and doesn't clear | It can carry rust and organisms into the eye |
| Water too hot or too cold | People can't keep their eyes in it long enough |
| Valve won't stay open hands-free | The injured person needs both hands to hold their eyelids open |
| Self-contained fluid expired or low | It may be contaminated or run out |
What to do when something fails
Fix it the same day, or provide another suitable unit before anyone works with corrosives in that area: OSHA requires the facility to be "within the work area for immediate emergency use." Hang an out-of-service tag on the station, post a sign pointing to the nearest working one, and tell the people who work there. See what to do when equipment fails inspection.
Keeping the record
OSHA doesn't require a written eyewash log, but a dated record of each weekly test is how you show the station was "suitable" if an inspector or an injury asks. A tag on the unit is the usual paper method. See equipment inspection record keeping.
A QR sticker on the station does the tag's job with more detail: whoever runs the weekly test scans it, answers each item, records how long they flushed, and adds a photo of rusty water if there is any. CheckBadges emails the problem to you and keeps every test filed under that station. It won't remind anyone that the weekly test is due, so put it on someone's weekly routine. See QR code equipment checklists.
Skip the clipboard
Put this eyewash station inspection checklist on a QR sticker.
- Operators scan the sticker with their own phone's camera. No app, account or password.
- Anything marked Problem emails you right away, with photos, and warns the next operator.
- Every check is saved by machine with who did it and when. Print one or export a CSV.
Free for 3 machines. Every item above is already filled in — edit anything. No card.
Eyewash station 1
Eyewash station inspection checklist
Frequently asked questions
How often should eyewash stations be inspected?
ANSI Z358.1, the consensus standard OSHA points employers to, calls for plumbed eyewash units to be activated weekly and all units to be inspected annually. OSHA's own rule, 29 CFR 1910.151(c), sets no frequency.
Does OSHA require weekly eyewash testing?
Not in its text. 29 CFR 1910.151(c) requires suitable facilities for quick flushing; the weekly activation comes from ANSI Z358.1. OSHA doesn't enforce ANSI Z358.1 directly but uses it as guidance on what's suitable, and it can cite 1910.151(c) for an unsuitable station.
How long should you run an eyewash during the weekly test?
Long enough to flush the stagnant water out of the line and check the unit delivers clean, tepid fluid. The manufacturer's instructions give the time for your model; record how long you ran it.
What temperature should eyewash water be?
Tepid. That's the ANSI Z358.1 wording, as OSHA describes it. OSHA's rule sets no temperature but says it's the employer's job to assess conditions such as water temperature so the unit protects against the chemicals in use.
How far can an eyewash station be from a hazard?
ANSI Z358.1 places it on the same level as the hazard, reachable in no more than 10 seconds, as OSHA describes it in a 2010 interpretation letter. OSHA's own rule says "within the work area for immediate emergency use."
How do you inspect a self-contained eyewash station?
Check the fluid is at the full line, the seals are intact, the unit isn't cracked or leaking, and the fluid or cartridge is within its expiry date. Change the fluid on the manufacturer's schedule and after any use.
Keep reading
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Do your eyewash station checks by QR code.
Stick a QR code on every machine and operators do the pre-use check on their own phone — no app, no login. Free for up to 3 machines; try it with your real machines before you sign up.