Hughes STD-68G Portable 45 L Gravity Fed Eye Wash Station

The Hughes STD-68G is a portable, self-contained gravity fed eye wash holding 45 litres, for places where a plumbed eye wash cannot be installed.

An eye wash that needs no plumbing

The unit can be table mounted or wall mounted. A pull down manifold on the front starts the flow, and the wide filling opening makes it easy to top up. The datasheet gives a 45 litre (12 US gal) capacity and a flow of 1.5 litres per minute for 15 minutes, and states that the station conforms to EN15154 and ANSI Z358.1-2014; it is suitable for indoor use.

The body and delivery manifold are high density polyethylene with polycarbonate spray heads and PVC tubing in a green and grey finish. Full, the unit weighs 56.3 kg (124 lb), so a wall fixing or table has to carry that load, and an optional drain cart is listed for moving and emptying it.

Technical specifications

Keeping stored eye wash water usable

Stored water does not stay clean forever. The product page lists a water preservative and Hydroclenz as options for exactly this reason, and the manufacturer publishes a water preservative datasheet. Plan a refill and test routine: the ANSI summary asks for weekly activation and an annual service, and a gravity fed unit also needs a date on its fill label.

The 1.5 litre per minute figure is the value printed for this product and is lower than the 12 litres per minute quoted in the Hughes summary of ANSI Z358.1-2014 for plumbed eye wash units. Check which flow your site standard, safety datasheets or permit conditions require for portable units before choosing between a gravity unit and a plumbed one.

Options and what to confirm before ordering

Listed options are an eye wash sign, Hydroclenz for the eye wash, a water preservative additive and an eye wash drain cart. Confirm where the unit will be mounted, how it will be refilled with potable water, the temperature range of the room since there is no heating, and the inspection routine that goes with it.

Selecting a gravity fed eye wash for a work area

A portable eye wash is chosen when the hazard is real but a plumbed supply is not practical: remote workshops, laboratories without suitable pipework, temporary work areas and stores where chemicals are decanted. Start with the hazard assessment and the safety data sheets of the substances handled, which say whether eye flushing is needed and for how long. Then check that the STD-68G meets the flow and duration your site rules expect for a portable unit, as discussed above, and that it can be placed close to the hazard on the same level and without obstructions on the route to it.

Consider who will use it and how. The station must be easy to reach and operate with one movement, clearly visible, and placed where a person with impaired vision can find it quickly. A sign at the location helps, and the eye wash sign listed among the options serves that purpose.

Installation and commissioning practice

Choose a wall or table that can safely carry the full weight of the unit and fix it at a height that lets the user bend comfortably over the spray heads. Leave space in front for the user and around the unit for refilling and inspection, and keep the area free of stored materials. Fill the unit with clean potable water, add a preservative if one is used on site, and mark the fill date on the label. Before release, activate the station once to confirm that the pull down manifold works and that both spray heads deliver an even flow, then refill it.

Inspection and maintenance routine

Gravity fed units depend on a disciplined routine. Assign a named person to check the water level, cleanliness and the condition of the manifold and tubing at the interval set by your site procedure, and to replace the water by the date on the label. Clean the tank and spray heads at each water change, record every inspection, and train staff in the use of the station during induction and refresher sessions.

Eye wash stations in GCC workplaces

The STD-68G is stated as suitable for indoor use, and in Oman and the GCC that point matters: water stored in hot rooms becomes uncomfortably warm and supports microbial growth more quickly. Place the unit in a shaded, ventilated indoor area away from heat sources, and consider shorter water-change intervals during summer. Dust should be kept off the spray heads and filling opening. Where several work areas need cover, list each location with its hazard so the number of units can be planned. For an RFQ, state the quantity, the mounting type, the options required, the location, the person responsible for inspections and the refill arrangement, including where clean potable water will come from.

Documents and quotation

Two Hughes documents are linked from this page: the English datasheet for STD-68G and the installation, operation and maintenance guide for its family, both unaltered. Seven Star LLC is an independent supplier in Muscat and prepares quotations for STD-68G and related Hughes models once the request states where the unit will be mounted, who will refill it, and the routine for water changes and tests. More site safety equipment is listed under Safety and PPE.