All trades have their own set of safety hazards, and plumbing is no different.
Professional plumbers face multiple safety hazards on any plumbing job, even if it is a simple fixture replacement or a minor leak. Often, we may not completely understand these hazards, and many wonder why plumbers are all geared up in protective wear for even the simplest of jobs.
The fact is that professional plumbers know and see potential safety hazards that we may not know. So, we have come up with the safety hazards plumbers face to give you a better idea of what exactly these hazards are and why plumbers take precautions.
It is always best to be safe than sorry, and if you want safe plumbing in Jacksonville, the professionals at Top of the Line Plumbing are the safest, most experienced professional plumbers in Florida.
The Safety Hazards Plumbers Face
Here are a few of the numerous safety hazards plumbers face, often regularly, when working on residential or commercial plumbing jobs.
- Slip and Fall Injuries
It shouldn’t surprise you that slippery floors in homes and offices can cause a slip and fall injury for a professional plumber on the job. Wet floors in a plumbing emergency can be a huge safety hazard, and plumbers may have to learn how to fall safely in such situations.
- Tight Spaces
Often a plumber’s job requires them to work in tight spaces like crawl spaces, boilers, pits, water tanks, or pipes. Such tasks can be hazardous because these tight spaces are often not ventilated, which means there is limited oxygen, and working in them for long periods can potentially be fatal.
- Rodents and Contaminated Waters
Speaking of tight spaces, they are incredibly attractive to disease-spreading rodents and contaminated waters. Exposure to these things can be extremely hazardous because it can cause diseases like E.Coli. Protective gear like masks, gloves, and clothing can help prevent this from happening.
- Chemical Hazards
Chemicals hazards like lead and asbestos in older properties are serious problems that can cause severe respiratory problems for plumbers. Doing prior research or simply asking the owner regarding using these materials on the property can allow plumbers to utilize proper protective gear.
If these things are unknown, it is better to take full precautions.
- Tool Injuries
Tools are essential for any plumbing job. You can learn more about them by reading our blog post on the subject ’11 Common Plumbing Tools’. (Please link log of the same title here) These tools can lead to numerous injuries, including a cut from a hacksaw, a burn from a torch, or a blunt force injury from a wrench. Such injuries are more likely to result from defective tools, which is why professional plumbers always test their tools before they use them.
- High and Low Temperatures
It is not uncommon for plumbers to work in extreme temperatures. Sometimes it’s because of working in tight spaces during extreme temperatures, while other times, it’s the hot or cold pipes that result in extreme temperatures of the space.
Either way, these extreme temperatures can easily lead to dehydration problems, reduced healthy blood flow, frostbite, and much more.
- Skin Hazards
Working in contaminated water, hazardous chemicals, or even boiling water can be extremely hazardous to the skin. Any physical exposure can result in rashes, burns, etc., which is why professional plumbers always wear protective clothes, gloves, and gear in such areas.
- Hearing Impairments
Plumbing jobs, especially for new constructions or commercial properties, can be very noisy. Banging tools, loud machinery, and echoing pipes can lead to damaged hearing or potentially even complete hearing loss.
An easy way professional plumbers overcome this problem is by using earplugs or wearing heavy-duty earmuffs.
- Gas Leaks and Fire Hazards
Professional plumbers are often certified gas fitters, just like the professionals at Top of the Line Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida. They professionally and carefully install, replace, and repair gas pipes, fixtures, and appliances.
Unfortunately, non-certified plumbers may not be as careful or may not take preventive measures while working on such jobs; they can easily cause a gas leak or potential fire.
Moreover, while working on plumbing jobs, several plumbing pipes may be running near electrical or gas pipes. If plumbers are not careful and cut the wrong pipe, it can cause a gas leak or fire easily. Therefore, you should only hire experienced plumbers and certified gas fitters.
- Eye Hazards
Plumbers have to closely inspect pipes, nuts, bolts, and fixtures all the time. They work on high-pressure pipes that may send things flying across the room. They often also work in spaces that have bacteria and chemical hazards all around.
All these things can cause injury to their eyes or damage to their eyesight. However, professional plumbers easily avoid this by always wearing safety goggles on the job.
- Indoor Mold
Mold grows in damp environments, and nothing creates the perfect environment for mold than bathrooms and leaky pipes in tight, unventilated spaces. Naturally, fixing these pipes requires access, which means professional plumbers are often exposed to mold spores.
Indoor mold is a high risk for plumbers and residents alike because it can cause serious health problems in humans. Professional plumbers overcome this risk by wearing proper masks, goggles, gloves, and other personal protective equipment (PPE).
It is also much safer to ventilate the space before starting work because it disperses any dangerous mold spores in the air.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this clears any confusion as to why professional plumbers use safety precautions, wear eye goggles, heavy-duty gloves, safety gear, or other PPE for even the smallest of plumbing jobs. Plumbing is a hazardous profession but no more than any other industrial, commercial, or service trade.
Professional plumbers fully understand the dangers they face, and they know exactly how to mitigate these dangers in any situation. While minor injuries are common, a professional plumber will always take the necessary safety precautions.
These things matter because, in many ways, they protect the residents of the home or workers of the business that hires the plumbers. You only want the safest plumbers for any plumbing job you may have.
For Floridians, this means the professionals at Top of the Line Plumbing in Jacksonville, Florida.
If you want to learn more about the safety hazards plumbers face, or if you want the services of the best, most safe professional plumbers in Florida, Contact Us today.
