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June/July 2014 21 organizations to ensure no one faces discrimination for a disability. Many resources and guides with informa- tion about accessible emergency wash facilities point to the ADA as an important measure. Canada has no overarching disabil- ity legislation comparable to the ADA. But the current federal government did promise to develop a Canadians with Disabilities Act, says Mary Ann McColl, academic lead of the Cana- dian Disability Policy Alliance at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont. "There was some pressure to go that way after the British, the Australians and the Americans — all our policy comparators — went the route of having anti-discrimination acts. But our government hasn't." Does that mean Canadian organiza- tions might be able to get away with ignoring accessible emergency facili- ties? Unlikely, according to McColl. She points out the various federal and provincial laws work together to effec- tively require Canadian organizations to install accessible emergency washes. GUIDELINES FOR ACCESSIBLE WASH STATIONS Start with the American National Standards Institute's (ANSI) Z-358.1- 2009. This standard offers guidelines for installing emergency wash facili- ties. It discusses the need for wash systems that can be activated within one second and the need for facilities to be placed where people can get to them within 10 seconds after coming into contact with a harmful substance. Most provincial and territorial occu- pational health and safety regulations for emergency wash facilities reference Z-358.1 as a recommendation. Mani- toba goes one step further and specifi es the standard as a requirement. Follow Z-358.1 and you can rest assured your facilities meet basic best practices. But the standard only offers guidelines for general use, not details for accessibility in particular. For that, look at ANSI 117.1-2009. It talks about the necessary knee clearance for some- one using a wheelchair to get close enough to an eyewash and face wash station to use it effectively. The stan- dard also indicates just how far shower heads and spray heads should be from the fl oor and the wall to afford barrier- free access. Combine Z-358.1 and 117.1 and you'll understand the essentials of accessibility. Emergency wash manu- facturer Guardian Equipment has done the math and offers the follow- ing ideal measurements. For eyewash and face wash systems: • Minimum knee clearance: 68.6 cm • Maximum spray head height: 91.4 cm • Distance from wall or barrier: 93.2 cm to 98.3 cm. For showers: • Maximum pull-rod handle distance from fl oor: 121.9 cm • Ideal shower head distance from fl oor: 208.3 cm to 243.8 cm. "There's nothing in the industry to indicate what manufacturers need to do to ensure their products are barrier- free and ADA compliant," says Travis McKnight, Guardian's Chicago-based regional sales manager for Eastern Canada. "So we looked at the dimen- sions for ADA-compliant drinking fountains and bathing showers and used those, such as 27-inch (68.6 cm) knee clearance, or less than a 5-pound force to activate, or no more than 121.9 cm for the pull rod." WATCH ONTARIO'S LAW FOR POINTERS AODA includes accessibility measures all organizations should take — even those outside Ontario. Stringer lawyer Young points out that AODA regu- lations call on companies to create accessibility policies that ensure disabled employ- ees can access emergency facili- ties and take part in emergency mea- sures. If an organization has emergency wash facilities, for example, the accessibility policy should include information on how to help disabled employees access the wash stations. The policy may indicate another employee must provide assistance. AODA regulations also require public sector organizations to con- sider accessibility when acquiring goods and services — another excel- lent reason to think about barrier-free wash stations. All in all, the AODA aims to remove the barriers that people with disabili- ties face in fi ve areas: customer service, employment, information and com- munication, transportation and the built environment. The provincial government means to ensure all Ontario organizations are barrier-free by 2025, says Young. Organizations across the province are required to provide accessibil- ity solutions, but the deadlines for compliance differ according to organization size and sector (public versus private). To determine deadlines and require- ments for your organization, visit Ontario.ca/accessON. The interactive tool on the website considers your sector and the size of your organiza- tion to pinpoint what you have to do and when. The standards rollout process began with customer service regulations, which all Ontario organi- zations must meet. These rules require, among other things, that entities remove bar- riers that prevent people with disabilities from obtaining, using or benefi ting from goods or services. Other mandatory measures are part of an integrated standard that the govern- ment is introducing in phases. Certain elements of the integrated standard came into effect on Jan. 1, 2014. Public sector and large private sector organizations (such as those with 50 or more employees) are sup- posed to have: • Policies that demonstrate commit- ment to accessibility • accessibility plans that outline con- crete steps to remove accessibility barriers. "That's one that caught some employers off-guard," Young says of the requirement for accessibility plans. Many of her clients were under the impression that since they had already provided for customer ser- vice accessibility, they met all of the AODA standards. But the need for an accessibility plan is separate from the customer service standard. CHOOSE BARRIER-FREE PRODUCTS Many wash station manufacturers offer barrier-free options. Guardian sells a range of accessible products includ- ing GBF 1909, a combined eyewash and face wash and shower facility that meets accessibility standards. Another manufacturer, Speakman, recently introduced its Optimus line of eyewash stations. Each product comes with all the hardware you need to install it at wheelchair or standard height. According to Imants Stiebris, direc- tor of global safety sales in New Castle, Del., Optimus not only meets the accessibility standards but it also meets Speakman's own corporate require- ments for supply chain effi ciency. "We've always sold a wheelchair- accessible product on its own, but as a company, we're trying to minimize the boxes we have on the market," he says. "So we want to put as many features as we can into one box." Stefan Dubowski is a freelance writer based in Ottawa. He can be reached at dubowski@stiffsentences.com. durable to extremes 800.999.4320 / keltech-inc.com CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 26 + years HOT WATER. ON TIME. EVERY TIME. Keltech tankless water heaters' tough, rugged construction stands up to the harsh elements of any jobsite. State of the art design ensures precise temperature control in any environment. All the time. No exceptions. It's the level of quality you demand for mining facilities, chemical settings, food processing, and extreme temperatures. Download the new product catalog at keltech-inc.com/cos Revit-BIM models available lations call on companies sures. If an organization The standards rollout process began with that entities remove bar-