Emergency eyewash for retail auto-parts battery handling

August 11, 1994

Mr. John Raiford, CSP, ARM
Assistant Vice President
Risk Control Manager
Sedgwick James of Tennessee, Inc.
[Recipient address omitted]
Dear Mr. Raiford:

Thank you for your inquiry of January 28, addressed to our Nashville, Tennessee, office, requesting an interpretation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for emergency eyewash stations in retail autoparts stores. Your letter was transferred to us for action, and we apologize for the delay in responding.

OSHA does not have specific standards requiring emergency eyewash for the protection of employees working in retail autoparts stores and handling automobile batteries. There are OSHA standards which apply to fire, explosion, chemical and electrical hazard to which employees may be potentially exposed, for example, when handling automobile batteries. These OSHA standards include:

1. 29 CFR 1910.132 General requirements for personal protective equipment,

2. 29 CFR 1910.133 Eye and face protection,

3. 29 CFR 1910.151 Medical service and first aid,

4. 29 CFR 1910.303 General requirement for electrical safety, and

5. 29 CFR 1910.307 Hazardous locations.

We have enclosed a copies of all the above referenced standards for your information. Also, we have enclosed a brochure listing safety and health references which may be of interest to you. You may order these listed references by contacting the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) Publications Office by telephone (202-219-4667), or the Government Printing Office (GPO) as indicated on the brochure. Please note that references with an associated cost can be ordered from the GPO. Other listed references can be obtained (one copy of each, gratis) from the OSHA publication office.

We appreciate your interest in employee safety and health. If we can be of further assistance, please contact the Office of General Industry Compliance Assistance, Ron Davies on 202-219-8031 ext. 110.

Sincerely,
John B. Miles, Jr., Director Directorate of Compliance Programs