500ml Eye Wash Bottle

Stock Code102001

Price£3.15 ex VAT (20%)
£3.78 inc VAT (20%)

All eye injuries are potentially serious. The First Aid Regulations state: 3.40 Additional Items. If mains tap water is not readily available for eye irrigation, at least a litre of sterile water or sterile normal saline (0.9%) in sealed, disposable containers should be provided. Once the seal has been broken, containers should not be kept for re-use and must not be used beyond their expiry date.

The litre of sterile water is designed to sluice away any loose foreign body or chemicals in the eye, working effectively through mechanical action to wash them away. Buffered solutions are available that neutralise acids and alkalis. The use of 20ml pods has increased rapidly over the past few years, as their compact size is economical and practical for instances where only dust or grit is present in the eye. However, pods typically come in packs of 25, amounting to 500ml of water; they are not intended to serve as a substitute for emergency eyewash like a dedicated 500ml bottle.

There is a European Directive suggesting that an emergency eyewash bottle should have a minimum capacity of 400ml, though this has yet to become law. This does not render the pods illegal, but they should not be considered a replacement for emergency eyewash. Instead, they should be used as a convenient option for minor irritants or alongside an emergency eyewash station.