When the Market Drives Innovation ... Everybody Wins
By Ron George, CIPE, CPD
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| The "Big Boy" is evidence that listening to the market is still the best way to drive innovation. |
One of the newest products in the emergency technology category reminds us that true innovation is the result of manufacturers listening to the needs of the marketplace. In fact, one could argue that listening to the needs of the market actually sparked the emergency category altogether.
It has been documented that one of the first safety devices intended for use as an eyewash fixture was the result of an industrious plant engineer acting on his desire to achieve greater levels of eye safety for plant workers. As history records, a petrochemical plant engineer noticed the laminar flow of water projecting from a drinking fountain bubbler and thought it would be perfect for washing chemicals from the eyes in an emergency. He ordered some spare parts for drinking fountains, mounted them opposite of each other -- and made the first eyewash. Haws Corporation took notice of the engineer’s unusual orders and contacted him. They listened to his concerns and how he was solving his the problem with their drinking fountain parts. Haws picked up on the idea and started manufacturing eyewashes. A category of emergency fixtures was born based on listening to an engineer.
Today, emergency fixture technology has come a long way -- and a new emergency shower and eyewash water tempering system (nicknamed “Big Boy”) is evidence that listening to the market is still the best way to drive innovation. For more than two years, plumbing engineers have played an important role in providing input and insight into this new product. Lawler Manufacturing said they developed the product after listening to the following things from engineers:
- Engineers are very committed to delivering tepid water for emergency shower and eyewash applications,
- Engineers’ “safest solutions” are often value-engineered out of a project when long -- piping runs and/or oversized heaters or large utility services are needed.
- Engineers and owners have a growing awareness that the Appendix to the ANSI Standard states that water over 100 F can be “injurious” to the eyes.
I witnessed this product in operation under test conditions and I was impressed with its performance and price range. Based on real--time data it appears this product delivers what the market is asking for: Tepid water (not exceeding 100 degrees) for emergency shower and eyewash applications with only 120V 20AMP power, a single point of connection for water, and new patented technology that flattens temperature spikes. It’s my belief that without including the voice of the engineer in this product’s development process -- it would not have achieved the engineering and budgetary solutions it offers.
Of course, it is critical that innovation in the emergency category take into consideration, all the codes and standards that can influence plumbing design. For example, due to the growing number of chemicals being exposed to workers, OSHA has mandated that suitable first aid treatment facilities be provided in the workplace to deal with the potential of chemical accidents. The OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.151c states:
“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.”
The OSHA regulation regarding emergency equipment is somewhat vague, in that it does not clearly define what constitutes “suitable facilities” for drenching the eyes or body. This was probably because at the time the OSHA language was developed there was not an industry standard for emergency eyewash and shower facilities to cite as a reference. In order to provide additional guidance to designers, engineers and employers, the International Safety Equipment Manufacturers Association (ISEA) in conjunction with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) developed a voluntary consensus industry standard covering emergency eyewash and shower equipment. The standard is titled “ISEA/ANSI Z358.1 -- American National Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment.” The document is intended to serve as an industry standard for the proper design, performance, installation, use and maintenance of emergency equipment. The standard was originally developed and adopted in 1981 and it was revised in 1990, 1998, and again in 2004.
When you summarize what these codes and standards communicate (you need the right equipment, in all the right places, with the right water temperature and flow rate, for the right amount of time...), engineers are left with a significant responsibility to design the safest possible environment to promote proper use, without “draining” the budget. That has been a tall order for many projects. In the past couple of years, the engineering community has raised its voice to manufacturers to help solve the problems they face when designing to the standards and trying not to blow the budget.
Some attempted solutions, however, have fallen short. For example, there are all kinds of portable eyewashes and drench hoses, as well as plumbed counter mounted eyewashes and drench hoses that are economical as additional fixtures -- as a viable solution for delivering tepid water for emergency showers. But there are a few serious problems associated with instantaneous water heaters serving emergency fixtures. First, plumbing codes do not allow the thermostat on the water heater to be the final temperature control -- mainly because outlet water temperatures will fluctuate because incoming cold water temperatures can fluctuate and the temperature can fluctuate as the flow changes. While that should dissuade any engineer from using an instantaneous water heater as a stand--alone solution for serving emergency fixtures -- I’ve still seen designs relying on the heater’s modulating burner controls, or a simple flow switch to control temperature at high and low flows.
But consider what happens when only the eyewash is used. The results are either water that is too hot because the flow rate is only 0.4 to 3 GPM with the same energy input or in some cases the flow switch does not activate at very low flows and the water is too cold. Second, when a mixing valve is combined with an instantaneous water heater, you have to be aware that there can be extreme pressure drop through an instantaneous heater. So with very little pressure on the hot side of the valve, the mixing valve won’t temper very well. Third, instantaneous water heaters typically require large electrical services or gas piping lines, pressure regulators and a flue up through the building roof in order to provide enough hot water for a combination unit or for multiple units. This can be a real challenge when designing emergency fixtures for remote areas of a facility or for a school. School districts and many other facilities are facing budget crunches while at the same time are being forced to comply with OSHA regulations for emergency showers.
These are the types of real -- world concerns that led to Lawler developing the new 911E (Big Boy) Emergency Tempering System. The system saves on installing expensive large electric services or long runs of gas piping and a flue thru the roof for gas water heaters. It relies on Lawler’s patented 911 mixing valve technology with positive hot water shutoff and full flow cold water bypass. The system also utilizes a patented device called “The Accumulator” to flatten out the temperature spike that a mixing valve naturally experiences when the hot water storage tank is immediately adjacent to the valve. Essentially, the valve goes from no flow at ambient temperatures to 23 GPM flow with 140 F or higher hot water temperatures from a storage tank. It’s basic physics that a spike will occur if there isn’t the technology or time to flatten it out. The new system will provide tepid water at the OSHA required fifteen minute duration at 23 gallons per minute for a combination unit. The “Big Boy” heater does have a very slow recovery rate, but if it is ever used, the facility will likely be shut down for several hours for clean--up while the heater recovers.
Recent survey data from engineers identifies a number of applications as prime candidates for the new technology: Chemical plants or facilities utilizing hazardous chemicals, loading docks that ship hazardous materials, hazardous waste facilities, automotive facilities, warehouses, long-term job sites and schools. One of the most unique applications to date for the technology is at a golf course, where owners/engineers were challenged to provide safe drenching environments in remote locations for workers exposed to both battery chargers for electric golf carts and fertilizer chemicals for the golf course.
Over the span of history, the emergency category has proven that everybody wins when the engineering and manufacturing communities work together to overcome previously unsolved problems. We’ve seen positive solutions like units for freezing climates, radio annunciation for remote alarms, lights, horns, color coding, protective coatings, corrosion resistant materials and a host of new accessory products. And when the marketplace drives innovation -- you get solutions like Haws’ first eye wash and now Lawler’s new “Big Boy.”
For more information on the products mentioned in this article contact Haws at www.hawsco.com and Lawler at www.lawlervalve.com.
Ron George, CIPE, CPD, is a certified plumbing designer with more than 28 years experience designing plumbing systems. He also writes the Code Update column for Plumbing Engineer.