How Dangerous Is Plumbing?

Plumbing issues can be an inconvenient inconvenience and even lead to property damage, but did you know they can also pose significant health risks?

Though eliminating hazards completely may be impossible, plumbers can practice good hygiene to lower their risks. Some examples include: 1. Exposure to dangerous materials

Tight Spaces

Due to their work, plumbers may need to enter sewers and other confined spaces not intended for human habitation for extended periods. Such places can be extremely hazardous due to limited oxygen supply and often being home to harmful organisms such as bacteria, legionella, pseudomonas and fire hazards such as methane and hydrogen sulfide; for this reason they require special training and PPE in order to enter safely; failing which may result in severe injuries or even fatality for workers entering.

Plumbers face the risk of tripping and falling while working in tight spaces.

Disease-Spreading Rodents

Rodents have long been recognized for carrying and spreading more than 35 pathogens that cause disease in humans, some directly spread through handling rodent feces, urine or saliva; others indirectly through fleas, ticks and mites feeding off infected rats or mice and then biting humans directly.

Rodents can also damage insulation and electrical wiring, leading to fires by eating wood and other flammable materials. Look out for signs of rodent infestation by looking out for grease marks and chewed holes in walls, wires and structures as well as chew marks or signs of chewing on walls, wires or structures. Seal all openings for pipes, electric lines, sewer spouts or vents using materials resistant to chewing such as durable sealing tape or materials resistant to chewing such as metal meshings for sewer spouts/vents with durable sealing tapes resistant to chewing using durable sealant material that won’t gnawing.

Airborne Hazardous Materials

Though plumbing may appear like an otherwise safe profession, that isn’t always the case. Many plumbing tasks involve working with chemicals and hazardous materials that can pose danger if they come in contact with skin, eyes or airways – or are inhaled into one’s lungs.

These include drain cleaners, solvents and lead, all of which may lead to eye irritation or cancer in humans.

As plumbers frequently work with raw sewage, this exposes them to bacteria which can spread diseases such as Legionnaire’s and Pontiac fever. Furthermore, such contamination of soil and water supplies has serious repercussions for their surrounding environments.

Electrical Shock

Plumbers frequently work with electricity, which can be deadly if handled incorrectly. Cutting or removing metal pipes may provide pathways for current to travel and cause serious or fatal electric shock. Therefore, plumbers should establish and follow a safe system of work prior to beginning any electrical-based tasks.

Electrical shocks of any voltage can be deadly. Even low voltage electrical shocks can produce muscle spasms which prevent victims from freeing themselves from the circuit and can even result in cardiac arrest if left unchecked by authorities. For this reason it’s recommended that anyone approaching fallen powerlines must remain at least 8-10 metres away until they have been declared safe by them.

Falling Objects

Slips and falls may be the primary sources of injury for plumbers, but they also risk being struck by objects falling from above if working in high places like skyscrapers or rooftops.

Weight, shape and height all play an integral part in determining how severe an object’s fall could be, with iron bars dropped from five stories more likely than hammers to cause serious harm than those dropped two stories lower. Each year dropped objects cause workplace injuries, deaths and equipment damage – accounting for thousands of workplace injuries alone!

Working in High Places

Plumbers navigating ladders or rooftops as well as working in enclosed spaces such as sewers or silos may face several threats when working alone or alone with other plumbers. A misstep could cause them to fall and suffer serious injuries or worse – even death.

Plumbing workers also face eye injuries due to flying particles, chemicals and debris. Protective eyewear should be worn at all times to prevent long-term damage.

Plumbing can be considered a potentially risky profession due to working in tight spaces and heights, with heavy tools that could cause back injuries if handled incorrectly or lifted incorrectly. However, most accidents and injuries can be avoided with good safety practices on the job site.