According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters make up the largest sector of the construction industry (and the best paid). These workers cover a lot of ground. You'll find them not just at construction sites, but disaster clean-ups, municipal water treatment and power plants. Each of these worksites involves a different set of hazards. Here is some guidance on providing safety training to help plumbing workers handle these hazards.

Tell Them a Story

The first thing you need to do with this or any group of workers is get their attention. One of the best ways to do this is to tell them a story of a fatality involving one of their brethren. Unfortunately, the plumbing trade has spawned more than its fair share of fatality reports.

Like the story of Eddie Kasza, a 37-year-old plumber and father of three who was suddenly electrocuted. He was plumbing a bathroom at the time and he apparently leaned against some exposed wires. His life ended in an instant. Eddie never knew what hit him.

Another victim and another illustration of the risks plumbers face is the 35-year-old plumber who died in a trench collapse. He had just diagnosed a water line leak when the walls of the unshorn trench caved in. He died of chest compression injuries.

In New Jersey, a plumber died after falling 13 feet (four meters) into a stairwell. He had climbed a scaffold to repair a leaky water pipe above a ceiling. While sitting on an adjacent pipe, he lost his balance and slipped and fell through the ceiling landing on the stairs.

Know the Hazards

Make sure your safety training covers the litany of risks that plumbers face on the job, including:

• Back/neck strain;
• Electric shock;
• Falls;
• Trench cave-ins;
• Oxygen deficiency in confined spaces;
• Fire/explosions;
• Eye injuries; and
• Chemical exposure.

I don't have enough space to cover all of these hazards. But let's look at a couple of them.

Preventing Electric Shocks

Since plumbers can receive an electric shock as easily as an electrician, these following safety tips apply:

• Wear rubber-soled shoes;
• Never assume the power is off;
• Isolate the electrical source with a lockout/tagout procedure;
• Test the circuit before starting work;
• Avoid working in damp conditions; and
• If you have to use a ladder, use a non-conductive one (fiberglass) when working with electricity.

Handle the Heat

Plan carefully all hot (open flame) operations. If your task involves using a blowtorch or plumber's furnace, take these precautions:

• Ensure you are adequately trained.
• Don't use these devices in small, unventilated spaces.
• Remove explosive vapors or dust before you begin work (vent the atmosphere of these hazards).
• Don't bring acetylene gas in contact with metal powders such as copper or silver; they can produce flashes that could ignite explosive atmospheres.
• Protect or remove all combustible materials.
• Ensure an appropriate fire extinguisher is on hand.

Conclusion

Of course, every plumber should wear proper protective equipment, including appropriate eyewear (particularly important when working with high-pressure connections and chemicals), gloves and safety shoes. If a task takes them into a confined space with low, overhead pipes, they should also wear a bump cap.

MEMBER REPLY

Request for Translation

Last week, Loren McLean of FPM Heat Treating wrote to say that he loved Richard Hawk's "Weird Safety Tips for the Home" published on October 3. He wanted to share the article with FPM's three plants in Elk Grove Village, Il, Cherry Valley, Il & Milwaukee, WS and asked if we had a Spanish translation available. (English and Spanish versions of an article are posted on their safety boards side-by-side.) Unfortunately, we had to tell Loren that no, we didn't.

So we were thrilled when a few days later Loren sent us a translated version of Richard's article, voluntarily translated by FPM's Spanish-speaking employee, Maria Oritz. The translated text can be found here in our Tools section.

To Maria Oritz, thank you very much for taking the time to translate the article and for sharing it with SafetyXChange.

Have you translated any SafetyXChange articles into Spanish for your workplace? Would you be willing to share them with your colleagues? If so, please send them to catherinej@bongarde.com and we'll post them in the Tools.

LOST IN TRANSLATION
Human Touch Required

Loren mentioned a problem he has when using online translation sites:

"One of the biggest problems I'm encountering is the different meanings for the same word. I used a web site that is suppose to translate multiple languages whichever way you want to go. And I was trying to translate "Material Safety Data Sheet" and the Safety word came out to mean "like a Safety Deposit Box"!

PRODUCT RECALL

Blow/Vac's loose connection may cause overheating.

Fire Hazard Prompts Black & Decker Recall

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on October 10, 2006 the voluntary recall of Black & Decker's BV4000 Type 1 Blower/Vacs due to fire hazards.

The fire hazard occurs when there's a loose connection between the product and an extension cord, which can cause overheating. Black & Decker has received several reports of smoking, melting and even fire near the unit's plug. Fortunately, no serious injuries have been reported.

Consumers using the orange and black blower/vacuum (with model BV4000 Type 1 on the right-side name plate) are advised to stop using it immediately and to contact Black & Decker at 1.866.853.2138 for a free repair kit.

(Source: US Consumer Product Safety Commission)

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